Indian Railways will establish passenger holding areas at major Bihar stations, including Patna Junction, to manage an expected additional 10 lakh to 15 lakh passengers during the Diwali and Chhath travel season. The plan is intended to reduce platform overcrowding and prevent stampede-like situations, particularly during the heavy return rush after Chhath Puja.
East Central Railway chief public relations officer Saraswati Chandra said the holding areas would allow passengers to wait in designated spaces until their trains arrive, rather than crowding station entrances and platforms. The facilities will accommodate thousands of passengers and include essential amenities.
Patna Junction will have the largest holding area, with capacity for 4,000 passengers. Danapur station will accommodate 3,000 passengers, while Rajendra Nagar Terminal and Patliputra Junction will each have space for 2,000. Holding areas are also planned at Muzaffarpur, with capacity for 3,000 passengers; Darbhanga, with capacity for 2,000; and Samastipur, with capacity for between 1,500 and 2,000 passengers.
The railway will also provide unreserved ticketing facilities at the holding areas. According to Chandra, this is intended to prevent passengers from converging at ticket counters and then moving towards already crowded platforms. The arrangements are designed to regulate passenger movement during peak periods and make boarding more orderly.
The return journey after Chhath is expected to place considerable pressure on Bihar’s railway stations as passengers travel back to workplaces in different parts of the country. The planned holding spaces will separate waiting passengers from the immediate platform and entry areas, where congestion can intensify when several trains are scheduled close together.
Security personnel will be deployed strategically at major stations, with attention to platforms, entry and exit points and other crowded areas. Railway authorities will regulate passenger movement and oversee boarding as part of the festive-season arrangements.
The station-wise holding capacities form the central operational component of the plan. East Central Railway has said the facilities, combined with unreserved ticketing and security deployment, will be used to manage passenger flows during the Diwali and Chhath rush.
