Platform tickets will not be sold at six major Delhi-NCR railway stations from November 3 to November 14 as Northern Railway moves to control crowding during the Diwali and Chhath travel rush. Only passengers holding confirmed train tickets will ordinarily be allowed to enter the platforms during the restriction period.
The affected stations are New Delhi, Old Delhi, Hazrat Nizamuddin, Anand Vihar Terminal, Anand Vihar Halt and Ghaziabad. The suspension will apply across ticket counters, mobile applications and automatic ticket vending machines, according to the report by Jagran – New Delhi.
The restriction is intended to reduce the number of non-passengers entering platforms to accompany relatives or acquaintances travelling by train. Railway officials said such accompanying visitors can add to congestion, particularly during the festival period when passenger numbers are expected to rise.
Northern Railway chief public relations officer Himanshu Shekhar Upadhyay said exemptions would be available for elderly passengers, women, persons with disabilities and illiterate passengers who require assistance. People accompanying such travellers for support will also be permitted to enter under the exemption arrangement.
The measure changes how families and other attendants can access station platforms during one of the busiest annual travel periods. While passengers with confirmed tickets can continue to enter, people who would normally buy a platform ticket to help someone board will need to fall within the stated exemption categories or make alternative arrangements outside the platform area.
The restriction covers the period from November 3 through November 14. During these dates, the railway’s stated focus is to limit avoidable platform footfall and keep access concentrated around actual passengers and those requiring assistance. The report does not specify whether additional crowd-control measures, entry screening arrangements or station-specific limits will be introduced alongside the platform-ticket suspension.
The decision reflects the operational challenge faced by major railway stations during festival travel: crowding is shaped not only by the number of ticketed passengers but also by family members and other visitors who accompany them to trains. By removing platform tickets temporarily, the railway is using an access-control measure to reduce that additional movement within station premises.
Northern Railway’s exemptions are intended to prevent the crowd-control step from blocking assistance for passengers who may need help navigating stations, carrying luggage or boarding trains. The restriction will remain in force at the six listed stations until November 14, after which the report does not state whether platform-ticket sales will resume automatically or be reviewed by the railway authorities.
