New Delhi railway station has introduced colour-coded entry gates, separate passenger routes and holding areas to manage the expected Diwali and Chhath travel rush, with reserved and unreserved passengers required to use designated access points based on their ticket category.
The railway has also made arrangements at Anand Vihar Terminal and other major stations in Delhi to control crowd movement before passengers reach the platforms. At New Delhi railway station, entry and exit routes have been separated, and passengers will not be allowed to use an entry gate to leave the station. Exit gates will be reserved for passengers leaving the premises.
Passengers travelling in sleeper and AC classes to platforms 1 to 15 will use the blue-marked gates, numbered 8 and 11. Passengers travelling to platform 16 will use the green-marked gate 10. General-category passengers travelling to platforms 1 to 16 will enter through the yellow-marked gate 12.
The arrangements are designed to prevent large numbers of passengers from gathering on platforms at the same time. Passengers will wait in designated holding areas until their trains are ready, after which railway personnel will allow them to proceed to the relevant platform according to the train schedule.
A permanent holding area for unreserved passengers was created on the Ajmeri Gate side of New Delhi railway station last year. A separate holding area has now been prepared for reserved-category passengers. Anand Vihar Terminal has also received a new permanent holding area to regulate passenger movement before platform access.
Large direction boards have been installed across the station complex, at the gates and on foot overbridges to help passengers find the correct entry and exit points. Ramps and accessible routes have been arranged near selected gates for wheelchair users, persons with disabilities and senior citizens who require assistance.
The railway has also started mobile ticketing measures at unreserved ticket counters to reduce queues. Railway staff equipped with handheld devices will approach passengers and issue unreserved tickets at the location.
The measures follow heightened attention to festival crowd management after the stampede at New Delhi railway station in February 2025. The latest arrangements focus on controlling the timing and direction of passenger movement rather than allowing all travellers to reach platforms at once.
Passengers are required to check their ticket category, platform information and the designated gate before entering the station. The railway has not stated in the supplied report how long the colour-coded system will remain in operation beyond the Diwali and Chhath travel period.
