In order to manage the expected increased crowds due to Diwali and Chhath Puja, Indian Railways has announced the suspension of platform ticket sales at 15 major stations for a specified duration. The enforcement will be from October 15, 2025, through October 28, 2025. Indian Railways stated the action was to ensure passenger safety and control crowds.
Northern Railway’s Suspension of Platform Tickets
The Northern Railway (NR) zone will see the cancellation of sales of platform tickets at five railway stations in and around Delhi. They are listed below:
- New Delhi station
- Old Delhi station
- Hazrat Nizamuddin station
- Anand Vihar station
- Ghaziabad station
According to Himanshu Shekhar Upadhyay, the Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) of Northern Railway (NR), there is a need for the enforcement to help manage crowds and allow for a proper flow of travel passengers during the festival.
“The Railways said: “There is always congestion at lavish stations during festivals so this step has been taken to secure travelers.”
He also reiterated that senior citizens, disabled passengers, sick passengers, and anyone accompanying boarding female passengers will get permission at the enquiry counter.
This also applies to Mumbai and Gujarat. During the period of October 15 to 31, 2023, Western Railway has discontinued the sale of platform tickets at the five busiest stations in Mumbai and Gujarat, including Bandra Terminus in Mumbai, Valsad, Vapi, Udhna, and Surat.
Central Railway has also, temporarily, canceled the issuing of platform tickets (again, more busy stations) for the five stations in the Mumbai division including Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) Dadar, Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT), Thane, and Kalyan and Panvel.
The Railways said that this temporary ban is required because the holiday season creates congestion and it is necessary to support the movement of passengers while boarding trains. The issuance of tickets will resume after Diwali festivities.