After stampede, curbs on sale of platform tickets at New Delhi station
Decision comes hours after a stampede at the station left 18 dead and many injured; platform tickets will not be issued between 4 pm and 11 pm this week
Authorities have put curbs on the sale of platform tickets at the New Delhi railway station, the busiest in northern India, following a horrific stampede on Saturday (February 15) night, which left 18 people dead.
The Northern Railway said it was enforcing temporary restrictions on the sale of the tickets to ensure smoother passenger movement.
This week, platform tickets will not be issued at the New Delhi railway station, in the heart of the capital, between 4 pm and 11 pm.
Also read: Delhi stampede: Two trains named 'Prayagraj' caused the confusion, claim police
To manage crowds
"The suspension of platform ticket sales … has been implemented to manage crowd control," Himanshu Shekhar Upadhyay, the chief public relations officer of Northern Railway, said in a statement.
The decision came hours after a terrible stampede took place at the railway station around 10 pm on Saturday, leaving 18 people dead and many others injured. Some of the injured are said to be in a serious condition.
The disaster occurred when thousands descended on two of the 16 platforms at the station in a desperate bid to catch a train headed to Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh for the ongoing Maha Kumbh Mela. Almost all the dead and injured were said to be Kumbh pilgrims.
Also read: Delhi stampede: What led to the tragedy? Witnesses, railways offer differing versions
CRPF deployed
The authorities have now deployed the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and additional Delhi Police personnel at the station to manage the crowds.
Both the CRPF and Delhi Police will work in consultation with the Government Railway Police, an official said.
The Indian Railways has announced compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the families of those who died in the Delhi stampede, Rs 2.5 lakh for those seriously injured and Rs 1 lakh for those with minor injuries.
Also read: Delhi LG faces backlash for edited X post on railway station stampede
Busy railway station
The New Delhi railway station is one of five major stations that cater to train traffic from and to the national capital. The New Delhi station is the busiest in the railway network in the whole of northern India.
Railway authorities have also restricted the sale of platform tickets to avoid crowding at the major railway stations in parts of the country, media reports said.