Platform tickets suspended at five Mumbai stations from Nov 5 to 15 for Diwali, Chhath rush

Diwali celebrations have begun across the country, and heavy crowds of passengers heading to their villages are visible at Mumbai's railway stations. Chhath Puja, a major festival of North India, falls along with Diwali, so people from other states are also returning home. To manage the crowd, Central Railway has taken a major decision.

Under the decision, the sale of platform tickets will remain suspended from November 5 to November 15 at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Dadar station, Lokmanya Tilak Terminus, Thane station and Kalyan station. During this period, only those holding an authorised railway ticket will be allowed on the platforms.

The railway has clarified that the strict rule has been made for safety reasons. Even so, relatives who come to help certain passengers in need will be exempted. These include relatives coming to see off or receive elderly passengers, relatives coming to help sick passengers, relatives travelling with small children, and relatives accompanying women passengers.

Many people living in Mumbai go to their villages during Diwali and Chhath Puja, so trains towards North India, Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh are extremely crowded. The step has been taken so that only travelling passengers are on the platforms, to prevent a stampede or any other accident.

The railway has appealed to passengers to reach the station at the time of their train and to follow the rules strictly to avoid inconvenience.