NEW DELHI: Nearly a month after a stampede that had killed at least 18 people at the New Delhi railway station, the government told Lok Sabha on Wednesday that 49,000 general or unreserved tickets were sold at the New Delhi railway station counter on February 15, which is 13,000 more than the usual daily sales of general tickets from the station. It was on that same day that a crowd rush or stampede on the station premises killed at least 18 people in the overcrowded station.
Railways minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, while replying to a written question from Trinamool Congress MP Mala Roy, on “average sale of railway general tickets,” told the Lok Sabha, “On 15.02.2025, approximately 49,000 general tickets were issued from New Delhi Railway Station, which were 13000 more than daily average number of tickets sold during the previous six months. To cater to this extra, five special trains were operated. One special train carries approximately 3000 passengers. Five trains were sufficient for 15000 extra passengers,” while mentioning that, “as such, unreserved tickets issued from a particular station on a particular date may or may not be for that station and date.”
Roy had asked for “details of average general rail ticket sale in New Delhi Railway Station per day during the last six month; the number of general rail tickets sale from New Delhi Railway Station on 15.02.2025; and whether sale of tickets was abnormally high, if so, the reasons therefor,” from the minister.
In his reply, Vishnaw gave details of how unreserved tickets can be procured through various ticketing counters. He added, “Further, unreserved tickets for distance up to 199 km can be procured on the same day while advance period for procuring unreserved tickets for distance of 200 km and above is 3 days. Further, from a Railway station, unreserved tickets can be issued for the journey originating from any of the cluster stations defined in the system, viz, from New Delhi Railway station, unreserved tickets can be issued for the journey originating from any of the 57 stations of Delhi area.”
