New Delhi, Oct 14 (IANS) Giving a facelift to the passenger amenities and convenience at the New Delhi Railway Station, a modern facility centre has been thrown open for the public, days ahead of the upcoming festival of lights – Diwali.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta inspected the newly constructed centre at the New Delhi Railway station and took stock of passenger convenience and crowd management. She also interacted with the passengers to gather people’s feedback on the newly developed facilities.

The station premises have been divided into three ticketing areas, which will effectively manage the sudden surge in crowds on the platforms. The roll-out of the new facility assumes significance as this seeks to prevent ‘excess crowd’ from thronging the platform, leading to some untoward incident. In February this year, a stampede due to overcrowding claimed 18 lives.

Delhi CM was accompanied by BJP MP from North-East Delhi, Manoj Tiwari. Speaking to IANS, both spoke about enhanced passenger convenience and the rollout of safety features at the junction.

CM Rekha Gupta said, “During the festive season, when people in Delhi want to go to their hometowns for Chhath Puja and Diwali, railway stations see the movement of millions of passengers. In the past, we have witnessed many incidents due to overcrowding at various stations. I am happy that such a large passenger convenience centre has been inaugurated in Delhi.”

BJP MP Manoj Tiwari said, “One should always learn from past mistakes. After the earlier incident at New Delhi Railway Station, the government has been fully alert and cautious. That is why we have now created a large holding area and set up the country’s largest unreserved ticket counter, where passengers can purchase tickets immediately and board trains without delay.”

The Chief Minister further told the press that 3,000 new trains have been introduced during the festive season to address the passenger rush, particularly headed to Bihar.

“This will ensure that our brothers and sisters from Purvanchal will reach their villages and towns safely and comfortably and celebrate the festivals with joy,” she added.

–IANS

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