From special trains to holding areas: Northern Railway steps up preparations for Diwali, Chhath puja

Of these, 1,76,400 are general seats/berths generated this year, up from 1,12,500 general seats/berths in 2024.

Additionally, between October 15 and October 27, 2025 (a span of 13 days), a total of 507 special train trips are scheduled to originate from the Northern Railway zone.

Train operations

During the festival season from October 15 to October 27, 2025, Northern Railway will operate a total of 349 trips from the NCR area under Delhi Division (covering New Delhi, Delhi, Anand Vihar, Hazrat Nizamuddin, Shakurbasti, and Rohtak), 34 trips from Ambala Division (Saharanpur, Ambala, and Chandigarh), 19 trips from Firozpur Division (Amritsar and Ludhiana), 18 trips from Moradabad Division (Dehradun, Haridwar, and Yog Nagri Rishikesh), 22 trips from Jammu Division (Badgam and Banihal), and 65 trips from Lucknow Division (Lucknow, Ayodhya, Sultanpur, and Banaras). Additionally, unscheduled trains will be announced in real time to meet passenger demand, and 12 rakes will be kept ready at different terminals in the Delhi area.

Holding areas

During the festival rush, Northern Railway has set up special holding areas at New Delhi station (Ajmeri Gate side, 5,896.66 sqm), Shakur Basti (2,231 sqm), and Anand Vihar (two areas of 5,000 sq ft and 8,500 sq ft). A total of 120 officers from the headquarters office, including 58 HODs and 62 Dy. Officers, will be deployed during this period.

In the Delhi area, extra staff from the Commercial Department will be deployed as follows: 126 for booking, 29 for reservation, and 45 for ticket checking.

Crowd control measures

Rush control measures include centralized PA systems covering gates and holding areas, 35 digital walkie-talkies for silent coordination, closure of parcel offices with staff reassigned to crowd management, and control rooms coordinating with NRHQ along with mini-control rooms at key stations. Technology and data will be used via AI-based crowd-count cameras inside holding areas.

For security and safety, platform ticket sales at NDLS and ANVT will be suspended during six-hour peak windows, with the decision announced two hours in advance via PA.

Security

A dedicated control room has been set up to manage operations efficiently, providing 24/7 monitoring through three shifts.

Additionally, “May I Help You” booths have been deployed to assist passengers with ticketing, directions to waiting areas, train timings, and platform information. There are 10 booths in open areas, staffed by 5 RPF personnel and 5 commercial staff—with 2 near Gate 11 (Ajmeri Gate side), 1 near PG side, and 2 in the holding areas.