Udhna railway station in Gujarat opens a Rs 40 crore Yatri Suvidha Kendra to ease platform overcrowding, offering spacious waiting areas, ticket counters, and modern amenities for up to 1.25 lakh passengers daily.
Passengers travelling through Udhna railway station in Gujarat now have access to a new waiting facility designed to lessen platform overcrowding, especially during festivals. Western Railway has commissioned a Rs 40 crore Yatri Suvidha Kendra capable of managing up to 1.25 lakh passengers daily, as per a report by news agency PTI.
The facility, which opened on October 31, spans around 10,000 square metres and can accommodate 15,000 to 20,000 passengers simultaneously.
Officials stated that the construction was completed in less than five months. The centre is likely to make travel more convenient for passengers using unreserved trains during the peak travel time.
How will the new facility benefit passengers?
The centre allows travellers to wait in designated areas instead of gathering on platforms long before their train arrives. This arrangement aims to enhance crowd management and make it easier for railway authorities to monitor passenger movement.
It has three sections: pre-ticketing, ticketing and post-ticketing. Travellers can buy tickets, wait in designated areas and move ahead towards platforms closer to their trains’ arrival.
The facility comprises a 2,000 square metre entrance plaza and 3,000 square metre walkway. Its post-ticketing section can accommodate around 3,5000 passengers at a time. Multiple access routes interlink the centre to Platform 6, which mainly serves unreserved trains travelling towards northern and eastern India.
Udhna station: What amenities are available?
The passenger centre offers several facilities, including:
-10 ticket counters for unreserved passengers.
-Separate toilet facilities for men, women and persons with disabilities.
-A separate seating arrangement for senior citizens, pregnant women and persons with disabilities.
-CCTV surveillance and facial recognition technology.
-High-volume, low-speed fans, a vertical garden and dustbins.
-A baby-feeding room and RO-filtered drinking water.
The Chief Officer of the Rail Land Development Authority, Tushar Mishra, was quoted by PTI as saying that the centre was built by utilising prefabricated technology, with glass-reinforced concrete screens and polycarbonate sheets to offer natural lighting and ventilation.
Why was the facility constructed at Udhna?
Udhna has developed as an alternative Surat railway station, catering to the region’s large textile and diamond industry workforce. Passenger demand usually surges during Holi, Diwali and summer vacations, when many workers travel to their home states. The holding area goal is to accommodate this increased footfall without requiring passengers to wait on crowded platforms.
Western Railway Chief Public Relations Officer Vineet Abhishek stated that festival-season passenger numbers have been climbing by 20 to 30 per cent on an annual basis, alongside growth in regular special train services.
He further added that Udhna’s capacity has expanded from three platforms to six over the past six to seven years. “The facility is half a kilometre long and 36 metres wide and can fit 15,000 to 20,000 people,” Abhishek stated to PTI.
Railway Ministry reviewed project in August
Earlier, in an August 2026 PIB release, the Ministry of Railways mentioned that the Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has accessed the holding areas projects at Udhna and Anand Vihar.
The ministry stated that the Udhna project was designed to manage approximately 15,000 passengers simultaneously and boost crowd management during the peak travel hours.
Officials told PTI that construction faced challenges from heavy monsoon downpours and
