Mumbai terminals set up holding areas for Diwali and Chhath travellers

Passengers arriving hours ahead of long-distance trains at Mumbai’s main terminals will be directed to holding areas before being allowed onto platforms.

Central Railway has arranged space for 3,000 people at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus and 10,000 at Lokmanya Tilak Terminus. At Bandra Terminus, Western Railway’s new 2,625-square-metre holding area is planned for about 3,700 passengers, alongside an older facility that can hold another 600.

The arrangements are aimed at the Diwali and Chhath Puja rush, when many travellers bound for Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and other states reach stations three to four hours before departure. Railway staff will regulate platform entry in batches based on train schedules, with Railway Protection Force personnel and commercial department staff deployed to guide the crowds.

The waiting areas have drinking water, seating, fans, lighting, toilets and public-address systems. Similar crowd-management arrangements have also been made at Dadar and Kalyan. Western Railway has temporarily suspended platform-ticket sales at Bandra Terminus to reduce non-passenger access to busy station areas.