Railways rolls out access-control pilot at New Delhi station

Northern Railways is testing new access control systems at New Delhi Railway Station to manage crowds, including turnstiles and future QR code entry.

Published on: Apr 24, 2026, 03:24:03 IST

By Jasjeev Gandhiok

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The Northern Railways has kicked off the implementation of new access control systems at the New Delhi Railway Station in order to better manage the crowds, with the pilot being tested at Gate number 9 of the station on the Ajmeri Gate side.

Under the pilot, turnstiles, which allow entry, but not exit, are being installed to regulate the flow of passengers inside. “This is being done by the Delhi Division of Northern Railways. It includes separate entry points for reserved and unreserved passengers. Moreover, turnstile gates (one-side exits) are being installed at the exit gates, with a trial being done on gate number 9 on the Ajmeri Gate side,” a senior Railways official said.

This is being carried out alongside proper ticket checking and queue management by the Commercial and Railway Protection Force (RPF) staff. “New signages are also being installed for passenger convenience. Overall, the goal is proper crowd management,” the official added.

The long-term goal includes integration with QR-codes for entry and the use of AI-based cameras for better safety. This was decided in a Ministry of Railways meeting, chaired by Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, in March.

This would allow entry to be regulated based on valid tickets, enabling better segregation of reserved ticket holders, monthly season ticket holders and unreserved passengers, it was decided. “Though initially turnstiles are being installed, QR code based entry is also planned in the future,” an official said.

The railway station typically sees an average footfall of 400,000 to 500,000 passengers, which can go up to 700,000 passengers during the festive periods. Last year in October, a permanent holding area — Yatri Suvidha Kendra was opened at the Ajmeri Gate side of the station to manage the festival crowd rush. Over 7,000 passengers can be accommodated there, with 22 ticket counters, 25 ATVMs and adequate seating and restrooms.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jasjeev Gandhiok
Jasjeev Gandhiok is an Assistant Editor with Hindustan Times, where he covers environment, climate change, the clean energy transition and wildlife at the National Bureau. Gandhiok has over a decade of experience in journalism and is based in Delhi. He has reported extensively on Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR). This includes the region's air pollution woes, a polluted Yamuna and on urban wildlife still thriving in the region. He joined HT in October 2021. Prior to that, he had five-year stint at The Times of India in Delhi, where he also covered Delhi, with a focus on environment and wildlife. Gandhiok has covered some recent events around the Capital too, ranging from the farmers' protests, the northeast Delhi riots and the CAA-NRC protests, reporting from the ground on all of these. He also travels across the country to report on how environment and climate change impact everyday life, while also writing on endangered species. His reports in 2019 on toxic leachate from Delhi's landfills led to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) taking suo motu cognisance and ultimately asking the state government to start bio-mining to flatten and remove all three landfills in the capital. He also closely tracks the implementation of government policies on climate, renewable energy and environmental protection. His focus remains on impactful, public-interest journalism which explains how environmental decisions affect people's everyday lives.Read More

New Delhi Railway Station

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