To decongest New Delhi railway station which witnessed a stampede last month, Railways are mulling extending the services of some trains to other cities and shifting more east-bound trains to Anand Vihar terminal.
Plans are also afoot to decongest Hazrat Nizamuddin station by shifting a number of trains to other stations in the capital, a Railway source said.
At present, New Delhi Railway Station handles more than 300 trains each day with over 7 lakh passengers using the station. The crowd surge during summer holidays increases the pressure manifold.
The stampede on May 16 at New Delhi station which claimed the lives of two passengers was blamed to such a rush as well as the last minute change of platforms.
The new proposals are being studied and discussions are taking place at various levels to implement them, the source said.
The trains which are likely to be shifted include those which attract a large number of passengers throughout the year.
Though there has been opposition from several quarters to the move due to the terminal’s distance from the city centre, Northern Railway has said the proposal to shift the trains to Anand Vihar is ready with supporting infrastructure.
Railway authorities feel that these measures will not only decongest the New Delhi and Hazrat Nizamuddin stations and open more line capacity, but will also help the passengers.
According to the plans, services of some trains terminating at New Delhi station could be extended to cities like Bareilly, Ferozpur and Jaipur.
Anand Vihar terminal is expected to handle more than 250 trains.
