Airport-like holding area planned at Pune railway station

The holding area will offer multiple ticket counters, automated vending machines, seating areas, VIP lounges, drinking water facilities, toilets, LED information boards, public address systems, CCTV surveillance, and luggage scanners.

Pune: To improve passenger safety and crowd management, Indian Railways has decided to restrict direct platform access for unreserved passengers at Pune Railway Station. Passengers will instead be routed through a permanent holding area designed with airport-style segregation. The move aims to reduce congestion on platforms and prevent stampede-like situations, especially during peak travel periods. Construction is expected to begin soon and be completed within five to six months.

Pune, India - Jan. 13, 2020: Canteen material lying on platform number 3 at railway station in Pune, India, on Monday, January 13, 2020. (Photo by Pratham Gokhale/Hindustan Times) (Pratham Gokhale/HT Photo)

Passenger movement will be regulated through three zones: pre-ticketing, ticketing, and post-ticketing, allowing controlled access to platforms. The holding area will offer multiple ticket counters, automated vending machines, seating areas, VIP lounges, drinking water facilities, toilets, LED information boards, public address systems, CCTV surveillance, and luggage scanners.

Pune Railway Station records an average daily footfall of around 1.75 lakh passengers.

Hemantkumar Behara, spokesperson for the Pune Railway Division. said, “The holding area will reduce platform crowding and ensure safe boarding of trains, particularly for unreserved passengers. It will help prevent stampede-like situations.”

The facility will be constructed on approximately 70,000 square feet of land near the railway hospital, after clearing officers’ residences and staff parking areas. The railway administration has set a six-month completion target.

Welcoming the move, Ramesh Yadav, a daily unreserved passenger travelling to Daund, said overcrowding during festivals makes platforms unsafe, particularly for senior citizens and women. “If implemented properly, this will make boarding much safer,” he said.

Mandakini Pillai, a frequent long-distance traveller, said an airport-like system with clear zones would reduce chaos at the railway station.