By Our Correspondent
NEW DELHI: Union Minister for Railways, Information & Broadcasting, and Electronics & Information Technology, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw today inspected the newly constructed Yatri Suvidha Kendra (Permanent Holding Area) at New Delhi Railway Station (NDLS). The center is designed to accommodate approximately 7,000 passengers at any given time, dramatically enhancing pre-boarding comfort and flow.
The new Yatri Suvidha Kendra is strategically divided into three zones to streamline passenger movement, a Ticketing area spanning 2,860 sqm, a Post Ticketing area of 1,150 sqm, and a Pre Ticketing area covering 1,218 sqm. This spatial separation is designed to reduce congestion and improve passenger comfort across the terminal’s main entrance.
The Union Minister was accompanied by Shri Satish Kumar, Chairman and CEO Railway Board; Shri Ashok Kumar Verma, General Manager Northern Railway, and other senior Railway officials, who provided a detailed briefing on the facility’s planning and execution. The inspection underscored the Railway Ministry’s commitment to modernizing crucial infrastructure and ensuring world-class facilities for commuters.
Northern Railway successfully navigated several complex challenges during the construction, including the necessary demolition and shifting of existing structures such as ATMs, a Delhi Police cabin, and hoarding boards. Furthermore, the sensitive relocation of essential utilities like water lines, drainage systems, and OFC cables was executed without disruption to daily operations.
In parallel, an essential infrastructure upgrade was completed with the extension of Foot Over Bridge 1 (FOB 1). This extension ensures that passengers de-boarding trains at NDLS can now directly exit towards the Metro Station, significantly improving multimodal connectivity and reducing platform congestion.
