In a step to enhance passenger convenience and crowd management, Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday approved a comprehensive plan for developing 76 passenger holding areas at key railway stations across the country. The initiative follows the successful model of the Yatri Suvidha Kendra at New Delhi Railway Station, which has significantly improved passenger comfort and station management during peak travel seasons.
The newly approved holding areas will adopt a modular design tailored to local conditions and will be completed ahead of the 2026 festival season, ensuring smoother travel experiences during high-demand periods.
Highlighting the success of the New Delhi model, the Minister noted that the Yatri Suvidha Kendra, completed within just four months, efficiently handled the massive rush of passengers during Diwali and Chhath festivals. The facility can accommodate around 7,000 passengers at a time and features 150 toilets each for men and women, along with ticket counters, automatic ticket vending machines, and free RO water facilities. Designed with three distinct zones – Pre-Ticketing, Ticketing, and Post-Ticketing – the area enables smooth passenger flow and efficient management of large crowds.
Building on this success, similar facilities will now be developed at 76 major railway stations across 16 zonal railways, including Mumbai CSMT, Howrah, Patna, Bhubaneswar, Varanasi, Chennai Central, Secunderabad, Jaipur, Bengaluru, and Ahmedabad, among others.
The initiative represents a significant push by Indian Railways to modernize station infrastructure and improve the overall travel experience. By introducing these holding areas, the Railways aims to ensure better crowd regulation, passenger comfort, and operational efficiency, especially during festival seasons and other high-traffic periods.
According to the Ministry of Railways, the new passenger holding areas will not only offer enhanced amenities but also reflect the Railways’ broader vision of making India’s stations safer, cleaner, and more passenger-friendly.