Central Railway on Sunday imposed temporary restrictions on platform ticket sales at key stations to manage festive crowding. The move came shortly after stampede incident at Western Railway’s Bandra Terminus.
Which stations to have restrictions on platform tickets?
Central Railway announced that platform ticket restrictions are now in effect at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Dadar, Kurla LTT, Thane, Kalyan, Pune, and Nagpur stations. Western Railway also restricted platform ticket sales until November 8 at Mumbai Central, Dadar, Bandra Terminus, Borivali, Vasai Road, Vapi, Valsad, Udhna, and Surat stations.
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“The restriction aims to reduce crowding and ensure smoother movement during Diwali and Chhath Puja,” an official stated.
Seniors and individuals with medical needs are exempt from this rule.
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Railways announces new trains for CSMT to Gorakhpur
To further ease passenger flow, Central Railway has announced two unreserved special trains between CSMT and Gorakhpur to meet the high demand during Diwali and Chhath. With these, the total number of special services for the festivals now stands at 583.
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The first special train (01019) will leave CSMT Mumbai at 2:30pm on October 28, reaching Gorakhpur by 11pm the next day.
The return (01020) departs Gorakhpur at 12:45 am on October 30, reaching CSMT by 10:35 am the following day, with stops at major stations en route.
Stampede at Bandra Station
At least 10 people were injured at 2:45am on Sunday while trying to board the unreserved Bandra Terminus-Gorakhpur Antyodaya Express. The train, scheduled to depart at 5:10am, was entering platform 1 when the crowd rushed forward.