Northern Railway runs 500 special trains for Holi rush, steps up crowd control at New Delhi station

. Officials said temporary holding areas will also be created at Anand Vihar and Ghaziabad railway stations, which witness a rush during the festive season. A mini control room has also been set up on platform 16 of NDLS

The Northern Railway is running around 500 additional train trips to manage the Holi rush, officials said on Monday, as crowd-control measures are being stepped up across key stations in the National Capital Region (NCR), particularly at New Delhi railway station, ahead of the festival on March 4.

The crowd at New Delhi railway station ahead of Holi last year. (HT Archive)

Officials added that over 600 additional trips are also being run by other railway zones, covering the NCR region as part of broader arrangements for the festive period.

“Railways has made extensive arrangements to ensure that passengers do not face any inconvenience despite the heavy rush expected. Already, a number of festive trains have started running,” Northern Railway general manager Rajesh Kumar Pandey said, adding that services to manage the festive rush will continue until March 31.

NDLS now has a permanent holding area, which was set up in October last year following the February 2025 Delhi stampede that claimed 18 lives and left several injured. Officials said temporary holding areas will also be created at Anand Vihar and Ghaziabad railway stations, which witness a rush during the festive season. A mini control room has also been set up on platform 16 of NDLS.

“The New Delhi railway station holding area, which has been set up near the Ajmeri Gate side, can accommodate up to 7,000 passengers at any given time. The station has been divided into three zones: a pre-ticketing area where help desks guide passengers on which trains to board; a ticketing area with 22 counters; and a post-ticketing area where additional manpower has been deployed and adequate arrangements have been made. Around 25 ATVMs have also been installed, with staff present to assist passengers,” said a senior Northern Railway official.

Northern Railway said 18 CCTV cameras are operational at New Delhi station, along with five luggage scanners and five door frame metal detectors. “Three LED display systems have also been installed,” the official said, adding that most of the special trains will operate from platform 16 to prevent crowding and long queues on the foot overbridge.

On Saturday, Pandey also inspected New Delhi railway station, assessing crowd-management measures and interacting with passengers to gauge their effectiveness.