Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw Approves Plan for Developing 76 Passenger Holding Areas at Various Railway Stations

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has approved the development of 76 passenger holding areas at railway stations across India, aiming to enhance travel comfort ahead of the 2026 festival season. Here’s a detailed look at the initiative:

Purpose and Scope
- 76 new passenger holding areas will be constructed at major railway stations nationwide.
- The decision follows the success of the Yatri Suvidha Kendra at New Delhi Railway Station, which managed heavy festive crowds efficiently during Diwali and Chhath Puja.

Design and Features
- Modular design tailored to local conditions for scalability and adaptability.
- Facilities will be strategically divided into zones to manage passenger flow and reduce congestion.
- The New Delhi model accommodates up to 7,000 passengers at a time and was completed in just four months.

Goals and Timeline
- All 76 holding areas are to be completed before the 2026 festival season, ensuring readiness for peak travel periods.
- The initiative is part of a broader effort to modernize railway infrastructure and improve the passenger experience.
- This move reflects the Ministry’s commitment to proactive planning and infrastructure enhancement. Stations are listed below.

Central
Mumbai CSMT, Lokmanya Tilak Terminus, Nagpur, Nashik Road, Pune, Dadar

Eastern
Howrah, Sealdah, Asansol, Bhagalpur, Jasidih

East Central
Patna, Danapur, Muzaffarpur, Gaya, Darbhanga, Pt Deen Dayal Upadhyay

East Coast
Bhubaneshwar, Visakhapatnam, Puri

Northern
New Delhi, Anand Vihar Terminal, Hazrat Nizamuddin, Delhi, Ghaziabad, Jammu Tawi, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra, Ludhiana, Lucknow (NR), Varanasi, Ayodhya Dham, Haridwar

North Central
Kanpur, Virangana Lakshmi Bai Jhansi, Mathura, Agra Cantt.

North Eastern
Gorakhpur, Banaras, Chhapra, Lucknow Jn. (NER)

Northeast Frontier
Guwahati, Katihar

North Western
Jaipur, Gandhi Nagar Jaipur, Ajmer, Jodhpur, Ringus

Southern
M G R Chennai Central, Chennai Egmore, Coimbatore Jn., Ernakulam Jn.

South Central
Secunderabad, Vijayawada, Tirupati, Guntur, Kacheguda, Rajahmundry

South Eastern
Ranchi, Tata, Shalimar

South East Central
Raipur

South Western
SMVT Bengaluru, Yesvantpur, Mysuru, Krishnarajapuram

Western
Mumbai Central, Bandra Terminus, Udhna, Surat, Ahmedabad, Ujjain, Vadodara, Sehore

West Central
Bhopal, Jabalpur, Kota