India has one of
the largest rail networks in the world measuring more than 64,000 kilometres.
According to the land and amenities directorate of Indian railways the total
land holding under railways is 4,318 square kilometres, second only to the defence
land holdings. Railway in India is a state monopoly and like most state run
enterprises is highly inefficient and sluggish. A case in point is stations in
Delhi. New Delhi railway station was commissioned in 1926 with a single track
and a single platform. Then outside the old city and away from the newly built
Lutyens’ Delhi it finds itself today amidst one of the most congested areas of the
city. The station itself is a chaos. Depending on which source you look up
there are anywhere between 360,000 to 500,000 passengers using the facility
every single day (or 131.4 – 182.5 million a year). A total of 16 platforms
handle around 300 trains a day.
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Access to the
station is a nightmare and platforms are crowded throughout the day with scarce
seating. Retail offer is substandard and vendors have arbitrary pricing. Festive
seasons see a sudden spurt in passenger numbers. In the past years there have
been incidents of stampede leading to death and injury during festive seasons. Poor
visibility conditions in northern India during winters spell disaster for the
limited infrastructure of the station. Many trains are cancelled or delayed
leading to passenger build up on platforms. Congested waiting rooms do not help to ease
the situation either. A lot needs to be done to improve passenger convenience. Another
aspect that makes the New Delhi railway station interesting is its location and
860,000 square metres it occupies in the central business district area. Redevelopment
of the station will not only provide better passenger amenities but also give a
boost to local real estate market which is struggling with shortage of space.
The huge volumes
handled by the train station require specialist planning and operating procedures
to manage the passenger flow. Being a terminus it is unlike other stations
where trains arrive and depart after a short halt. The passengers arrive well
in advance of their departure time and wait on the platforms with other
passengers. At a given time there might be passengers waiting for four
different trains scheduled to depart from the same platform within a few hours.
This creates chaos and unwanted congestion. Arriving passengers on the same
platform then add to the problem and passenger flow is seriously hampered and
passenger safety undermined. Provisions should be made to segregate arriving and
departing passengers like at airports. This will create more space for
passenger flow and improve safety standards.
A multi level
station complex with separate arriving and departing areas will double the passenger
processing space. Separate waiting areas with retail offers will generate more
revenue and improve passenger services. Standard operating procedures spelling
out step wise details of passenger processing from the moment passengers enter
the station building till they depart will harmonise passenger handling. Adequate
holding areas will also act as buffer to handle delays. The flow might work in
a way that passengers arrive at the departure level and are segregated
depending on their departure time. Passengers arriving close to their departure
time will be sent to gate areas linked to their platform and early arrivals
will be directed to a common waiting lounge. Security checks can be done in the
gates area prior to final departure. Similarly arriving passengers will be
processed at arrivals level and will leave the station building according to
the arrival procedures. A separate procedure for trains with short halts will
have to be put in place. This can be in form of dedicated platforms with
separate access points.
Bringing in
operational efficiency is definitely a priority, but harnessing the business
potential of the location should also be part of the plan. In a small scale it
has already started happening with Delhi Metro. Many metro stations now have
multi story business centres and shopping malls. High passenger volumes and
proximity to the central business district will make the New Delhi station area
very attractive. The huge land area available can be used for office complexes,
mid range and budget hotels, shopping areas, restaurant, employee welfare, and
so on. Redevelopment of the station complex will have a significant
contribution in the local economy in the long run. The railways too will
benefit from efficient operations and can ensure a safe journey to passengers.
