News Brief
Railways To Develop 76 Passenger Holding Areas Nationwide Ahead Of 2026 Festive Season
Holding areas at New Delhi railway station
Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw, has approved an extensive plan to construct 76 passenger holding areas at key railway stations across the country.
The initiative follows the successful rollout of such a facility at New Delhi Railway Station, which proved instrumental in managing large crowds during the recent Diwali and Chhath travel surge.
The new facilities will follow a modular design adaptable to local conditions, ensuring efficiency and comfort for travellers. The Minister has instructed that all holding areas be ready ahead of the 2026 festival season to handle the annual spike in passenger traffic more effectively.
The Yatri Suvidha Kendra (Permanent Holding Area) at New Delhi Railway Station has become a model for this nationwide rollout. Built within four months, it can accommodate up to 7,000 passengers at any time, providing improved pre-boarding comfort and smoother crowd management.
The space is divided into three functional zones — Ticketing, Post-Ticketing, and Pre-Ticketing optimising passenger movement and reducing congestion.
Under the expansion plan, stations in major cities such as Mumbai, Chennai, Howrah, Patna, Bhubaneswar, Varanasi, Jaipur, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, and Guwahati are among those selected.
The initiative spans all 16 railway zones, including Northern, Central, Western, Southern, and East Coast Railways.
