New Delhi Railway Station Stampede: In the wake of the fatal stampede at New Delhi railway station late Saturday night, railway authorities have suspended the sale of stage tickets at the station till February 26, 2025, which coincides with the date of the conclusion of the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj.
The move is aimed at controlling the increasing crowd at the station and ensuring the safety of passengers at a time when lakhs of people are travelling by trains to Prayagraj to attend the Maha Kumbh Mela.
Though the ban on the sale of stage tickets has already been implemented at New Delhi railway station, railway officials are currently evaluating the situation to see if similar checks are required at other major railway stations in Delhi. Based on the crowd control measures and a detailed assessment of the situation, a decision will be taken on Monday about extending the ban to other stations.
According to railway officials, it has been observed that some people are accompanying passengers to stations to drop them off, leading to overcrowding at stations. On the day the incident took place, a large number of people had come to board the train with their relatives. The situation worsened when a large number of ticket holders rushed to the stations packed with passengers. The matter is being investigated by the Delhi Police and a two-member committee appointed by the Railways.
Meanwhile, passengers and visitors have been encouraged to engage with experts to avoid unnecessary jams at stations. The Railways said that those found on the platform without a valid ticket will face fines and other harsh penalties. Due to the increased crowd, Northern Railway has announced to run four unusual trains – 04420 Unused Delhi-Phaphamau Intersection, 04422 New Delhi-Phaphamau, 04424 Anand Vihar Terminal-Phaphamau and 04418 New Delhi-Darbhanga Intersection – to encourage smooth travel of Kumbh lovers and all passengers.
The authorities have decided that all special trains in the direction of Prayagraj will depart from platform number 16. In this way, all the passengers going to Prayagraj will have to come and go from Ajmeri Gate side of New Delhi Railway Station. Normal trains will continue to run regularly from all stages. Railways have also increased the deployment of RPF and GRP forces at unused Delhi Railway Station to better control the crowd.
