Pune station gets holding area, more ticket counters and extra RPF staff to manage crowds

Pune railway administration has made several arrangements to handle the crowds of passengers coming to the station. These include a large waiting area, more ticket counters and tighter security. As part of the effort to control the crowd, parcel work at Pune station has been suspended for now.

A 15,000 sq ft passenger holding area has been created at Pune railway station. About 2,200 people can sit or stand in it. It has drinking water, toilets, urinals, lighting, an announcement system, boards with train information, passenger display screens and CCTV cameras. The aim is to give passengers an orderly place to wait before boarding.

Ticket windows have also been increased. During peak hours, six additional counters at Pune station and five at Hadapsar will be operational. To free up space in the station premises and reduce movement, Pune station's parcel service will remain closed from November 5 to November 15.

A total of 290 personnel of the Railway Protection Force (RPF) have been deployed at three stations. Of these, Pune has been given 200, while 50 have been deployed at Hadapsar and 40 at Khadki. In addition, 57 ticket-checking staff have been deployed. They will help passengers and stop people without reservations from boarding reserved coaches.

Central Railway has also scheduled a one-time train-on-demand (TOD) special between Khatipura and Khadki, to give passengers another travel option.

Train No. 09729 will leave Khatipura at 6 am on November 15 and reach Khadki at 7 am on November 16. The return train, No. 09730, will leave Khadki at 8.45 am on November 16 and reach Khatipura at 8.30 am the next day.

Seats on this special can be booked from November 14. Along with the arrangements at the station, the additional train is part of the same effort by the railway division to handle the increased crowds and make boarding and travel more orderly.