Passengers planning to board trains from New Delhi railway station during the upcoming festive rush are advised to verify their departure details in advance. In a major operational realignment designed to tackle heavy passenger footfall, operating platforms for 17 key trains have been changed. This temporary system takes effect on October 16 and will remain active through November 17, spanning a full month. Commuters heading toward the station should check current platform assignments to avoid last-minute confusion. The rescheduled lineup features prominent services, including the Varanasi Vande Bharat Express, Shatabdi Express, and multiple passenger and suburban EMU shuttles.
Month-Long Realignment to Ease Holiday Footfall
During the festive season, travel demand surges sharply as thousands of passengers head out of the national capital. The railway administration implemented this platform redistribution to prevent platform overcrowding and maintain smooth passenger dispersal. The modified operational schedule is slated to stay in place for roughly a month, after which train operations may be evaluated and restored to their original platform allocations.
Complete List of Affected Services
The revised schedule touches long-route superfast services, intercity expresses, and high-frequency local trains alike
- Train 12562 Swatantrata Senani Express: Previously operating from platform 13, it will now arrive at platform 01 starting October 16.
- Train 12561 Swatantrata Senani Express: Relocated from platform 12 to platform 07.
- Train 12046 Kathgodam Shatabdi: Shifted from platform 02 to platform 01.
- Train 15306 Rohtak Intercity Express: Moved from platform 07 to platform 02.
- Train 19566 Uttaranchal Express: Shifted from platform 01 to platform 04.
- Train 12472 Swaraj Express: Diverted from platform 01 to platform 08.
- Train 12474 Sarvodaya Superfast Express: Shifted from platform 01 to platform 08.
- Train 12476 Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra - Hapa Superfast Express: Moved from platform 01 to platform 08.
- Train 12478 Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra - Jamnagar Superfast Express: Shifted from platform 01 to platform 08.
- Train 12392 Shramjeevi Express: Reassigned from platform 08 to platform 01.
- Train 22435 Varanasi Vande Bharat Express: Moved from its previous berthing at platform 16 to platform 06.
- Train 64441 Ghaziabad - New Delhi EMU: Shifted from platform 14 to platform 12.
- Train 64410 New Delhi - Ghaziabad EMU: Moved from platform 14 to platform 12.
- Train 54473 Delhi - Saharanpur Passenger: Reassigned from platform 15 to platform 06.
- Train 64409 Ghaziabad - New Delhi EMU: Shifted from platform 08 to platform 09.
- Train 64076 New Delhi - Palwal EMU: Relocated from platform 08 to platform 09.
- Train 64016 Shakurbasti - Mathura EMU: Shifted from platform 01 to platform 04.
Handling Over 400,000 Commuters Every Day
New Delhi railway station ranks among the country's most heavily congested transit hubs. Under standard operating conditions, the terminal handles more than 300 arrivals and departures each day, accommodating an average daily volume of roughly 400,000 passengers. These numbers climb significantly during major festivals, turning crowd regulation and pedestrian circulation into a serious logistical challenge for station managers.
Paharganj Construction Drives Congestion Toward Ajmeri Gate
This operational intervention is also driven by ongoing civil works inside the terminal area. Upgrades and construction activities have been underway for approximately a year, curtailing standard pedestrian movement along the Paharganj entry and exit points. As a direct consequence, foot traffic has shifted heavily toward the Ajmeri Gate side, creating bottleneck conditions on several connecting pathways. Redistributing these 17 trains across alternative platforms aims to balance crowd distribution and provide smoother boarding access for travelers.
