Indian railway stations, from New Delhi to Mumbai and Surat, are reporting record rush as millions of travelers return home for the big Diwali and Chhath festivals. The rush of passengers, especially those bound for Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Jharkhand, has created huge queues and huge logistical woes.
2-Kilometer Queue of Trains in Surat
The magnitude of the rush was vividly seen in Surat, Gujarat, on Saturday night at Udhna Railway Station.
12-Hour Wait: A queue of passengers, including women, children, and the elderly, was about two kilometers long in front of Platform No. 6, stretching into the open ground of the Limbayat area nearby. Travellers waited in the dust for as long as 12 hours to queue up for special and weekly trains that were to leave on Sunday morning and afternoon.
Visual Confirmation: Exclusive video recorded the long queues winding through the station compound and nearby fields late at night.
Rail Minister Takes Stock in New Delhi
Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw himself went to the New Delhi Railway Station on Saturday to take stock of crowd management arrangements during the peak travel day.
दिवाली से पहले अचानक खचाखच भरी ट्रेन में चढ़ गए रेल मंत्री अश्विनी वैष्णव, यात्रियों से की बात. दिवाली पर नई दिल्ली रेलवे स्टेशन पहुंचकर रेल मंत्री ने लिया व्यवस्था का जायजा #Diwali #NDLS #Train #AshwiniVaishnaw | #ZeeNews pic.twitter.com/vTr8JL7yqg
— Zee News (@ZeeNews) October 19, 2025
Peak Rush Day: The minister confirmed that Saturday was the “peak rush day,” as about 175,000 passengers used the station, and 75,000 were non-reserved travelers.
Infrastructure Boost: To handle the crowds, the Ministry has opened new Passenger Facilitation Centers and extra ticketing counters.
Special Trains and Crackdown: 12,000 special trains have been this season to decongest. In addition, the Minister assured that stern action, including registration of FIRs, is being initiated against individuals who are spreading false news on social media.
Crowd Control: Holding areas at the New Delhi station have been arranged to control entry in a disciplined fashion to avoid stampedes and pandemonium.
Crowd Management Measures in Mumbai and Jhansi
The same overcrowding was also experienced in other big rail terminals, leading to the use of special control measures by the railways.
Mumbai’s Barricaded Zones: Large groups of people collected at Mumbai’s Lokmanya Tilak Terminus, but the railway authorities had developed separate, barricaded areas (or ‘Khatals’) for the exclusive use of general coach passengers. This helps in orderly boarding and stops pushing and stampedes. RPF and GRP staff were very vigilant for security.
Traveller Agitation: Although most passengers appreciated the better arrangements, some complained of difficulty in getting tickets, citing excessive and indiscriminate charging away from the station.
Jhansi Rush: Similar overcrowding was witnessed at Jhansi station, especially for trains bound for Gorakhpur. Travelers were even pushing their way into trains through windows and doors. The DRM and RPF have taken charge to regulate the rush and maintain safety.
ALSO READ | Did US Military Really Save 25,000 Lives By Destroying A Fentanyl Submarine In Caribbean? WATCH VIDEO