Indian Railways starts rolling out access-control pilot at New Delhi station

The Northern Railways has kicked off the roll out of new access control systems at the New Delhi Railway Station in order to better manage the crowds. The pilot is being tested at Gate number 9 of the station on the Ajmeri Gate side. 

According to a senior Railways official, this implementation is being done by the Delhi Division of Northern Railways. It includes separate entry points for reserved and unreserved passengers. “Moreover, turnstile gates (one-side exits) are being installed at the exit gates, with a trial being done on gate number 9 on the Ajmeri Gate side,” he said.

Under the pilot, turnstiles, which allow entry, but not exit, are being installed to regulate the flow of passengers inside. This is being carried out alongside proper ticket checking and queue management by the Commercial and Railway Protection Force (RPF) staff.

The long-term goal includes integration with QR-codes for entry and the use of AI-based cameras for better safety. This was decided in a Ministry of Railways meeting, chaired by Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, in March.

The railway station typically sees an average footfall of 400,000 to 500,000 passengers, which can go up to 700,000 passengers during the festive periods. Last year in October, a permanent holding area — Yatri Suvidha Kendra was opened at the Ajmeri Gate side of the station to manage the festival crowd rush. Over 7,000 passengers can be accommodated there, with 22 ticket counters, 25 ATVMs and adequate seating and restrooms.