26 October,2011 08:10 AM IST | | Shashank Shekhar
Long queues were seen at New Delhi railway station on Tuesday due to strict baggage checking, causing inconvenience to passengers
With the festive season going on, one may, only if luck is on your side, be able to escape the traffic jams in the Capital. But to enter the New Delhi railway station these days is quite a task. On Tuesday, long queues to enter the platforms due to strict luggage checking were visible. With the festival of Diwali just a day away, and people going to other towns for the festivities, the rush at the New Delhi railway station was to be seen to be believed. Authorities at the station have tightened security in and around area, resulting in queues as long as 50 metre.
Rush hour, every hour: Heavy rush at New Delhi railway station a day
ahead of Diwali on Tuesday. PIC/Rajeev Tyagi
Taking the queue
"I had to board Ranchi Rajdhani and I was running late due to heavy traffic. But I was shocked to see the long queue of passengers outside the station, waiting to get inside. I thought I would not be able to board the train, so I requested another passenger if he would allow me to enter before him. It was good to see some serious security at the station but knowing the fact that there would be huge rush, authorities should have arranged for multiple counters to enter the station," Badal Srivastava, a passenger, said.
Where are the cops?
Similar was the experience of another passenger who had to board Shiv Ganga Express to Varanasi. "The rush at the railway station is insane. Although there is tight security arrangement at the entrance, which has also caused inconvenience to the passengers, there are hardly any cops on the platforms," said Gaurav Singh.
To ensure no untoward incident happens during rush hour, the railway authorities claim to have taken security a notch higher. RPF is not allowing anyone to enter the station without getting his/her luggage scanned.
In full force
Special forces have been deputed in and around the station to be on the look out for any suspicious persons or activities. As part of the checks, passengers' baggage will be screened and commuters will be asked to pass through metal-detector gates. Suspicious persons will be frisked. The canine squad has also been deployed to check coaches and station areas for explosives and narcotics.
