Bandra Terminus To Get Rs 16.43-Crore Passenger Holding Facility Before Diwali

A passenger holding facility, or “Yatri Suvidha Kendra,” will be installed at Bandra Terminus station before Diwali in November to control crowding and avoid a situation similar to the stampede that occurred in 2024. Railway officials hope to complete and open the facility before the November festival season. The project is expected to cost Rs 16.43 crore.

Since the railways are a heritage network, only limited infrastructure improvements, such as expanding platforms, can be implemented. A senior railway official stated, “Such a facility would help distribute and manage passenger crowds effectively because the platform space cannot be changed.”

New facility to accommodate 3,700 passengers

The 2,625-square-metre dedicated holding facility, created by the Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA), will accommodate up to 3,700 passengers. Of this, 1,345 square metres will be designated as a pre-ticketing area, furnished with water coolers, drinking water taps, bathrooms, five passenger information display screens and 45 three-seater benches.

Eight Unreserved Ticketing System (UTS) counters, 10 workstations and six Automatic Ticket Vending Machines (ATVMs) will be located in a 285-square-metre ticketing area. Two luggage scanners and a ramp exit will be located in a 995-square-metre post-ticketing area.

Passenger segregation, according to officials, will help control the flow of people towards the platforms, especially during busy periods and holidays.

Measures introduced to prevent crowding

To prevent unauthorised vehicle entry, the area beyond the holding zone will also be equipped with bollards or short, sturdy posts, portable signage, reflective lights and traffic marshals.

For crowd control, a smaller 370-square-metre passenger holding facility that can accommodate 600 commuters was also built in the station’s east circulation area.

The new 2,625-square-metre facility is expected to significantly increase the station’s holding capacity and reduce passenger crowding on platforms. There are currently about 22 long-distance trains and an average of 40,000 passengers per day at Bandra Terminus.