Platform tickets stopped at 6 Delhi stations until 14 November

Northern Railway has stopped selling platform tickets at six stations in Delhi for the Diwali, Bhai Dooj and Chhath rush. According to Hindustan Times, the sale stops on 3 November 2026 (a Tuesday) and runs to 14 November. Nothing in the report suggests the stop applies to any other station, but check the station before you go if you are meeting someone at a different one.

Which stations are affected

The report names six locations: New Delhi, Old Delhi, Hazrat Nizamuddin, Ghaziabad, Anand Vihar Terminal and Anand Vihar Halt. Parcel and luggage limits apply at some of them as well. The table shows what the report says for each one.

The report also says that departmental booking is restricted: from 3 to 15 November at New Delhi, Old Delhi and Anand Vihar Terminal, and from 5 to 15 November at Hazrat Nizamuddin. It does not explain which services this covers, so ask the station before you send anything that needs that counter. At Hazrat Nizamuddin, booking of registered newspapers and magazines is still allowed, subject to public safety.

Who is affected, and who is exempt

The stop affects people who would normally buy a platform ticket at these six stations, such as those seeing someone off or waiting to receive a passenger. The report does not say how entry works for people holding journey tickets, so ask station staff if unsure.

The Northern Railway's chief public relations officer said exemptions will be given to people accompanying elderly, sick, specially abled, illiterate and lady passengers who need assistance. The report does not say how these exemptions are checked, so be ready to explain who you are helping and ask station staff.

New holding area at New Delhi station

The station has a permanent passenger holding area outside platform 16, on the Ajmeri Gate side. Officials told Hindustan Times that it replaces the temporary tents used in earlier years. Baggage scanners are being installed there, and enough Railway Protection Force (RPF) staff are being deployed to guide passengers to the platforms.

The holding area is in addition to the 6,000 square metre Yatri Suvidha Kendra, which the report says was inaugurated on 11 October 2025. Passengers who arrive from the Ajmeri Gate side will reach the holding area directly under its roof.

The measures follow the stampede at New Delhi station on 15 February 2025, in which 18 people died on the staircase between platforms 14 and 15 during the evening rush. Crowd control is the reason given for all of these steps.

Special trains and how to plan

Officials said festival special trains will be increased this week. The report does not list any train numbers, so we cannot say which services are being added or on which days. Our station pages show the regular trains: New Delhi (NDLS) lists 342 trains in our database, Delhi Jn (DLI) lists 262, and Hazrat Nizamuddin (NZM) lists 236.

Check the train's own page for the day you travel instead of relying on an old timetable or an older list of specials. For the wider picture of how to plan a trip in this period, see our Diwali rush booking calendar.

What travellers should do

1. Reach the station early. The holding area and baggage scanners add a step before the platform, so allow extra time, especially at New Delhi.
2. Plan a meeting point outside the platform. If you are seeing someone off from one of the six stations between 3 and 14 November, you may not be able to buy a platform ticket. Agree on where to meet before you leave home.
3. Hold non-urgent parcels until after 15 November. Loading and unloading is restricted at most of the listed stations from 5 to 15 November.
4. Carry only personal luggage at Hazrat Nizamuddin. The report allows personal luggage only in passenger coaches there during the restriction.
5. Check your train the day you travel. Use the station board or the train page to confirm the timing.