Boarding a train at Hazrat Nizamuddin Rly Stn is a nightmare for rail passengers
Boarding a train at Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station from Sarai Kale Khan is a nightmare for rail passengers. The entire stretch connecting Ring Road to the station building point remains congested round-the-clock. The situation aggravates during the morning and evening rush hours when a number of long destination trains depart from the station.
The congestion is mainly due to haphazard parked vehicles, particularly the autorickshaws and taxis due to parking space crunch. Encroachment by the vendors adds to the woes of passengers who often end up missing trains. “There is no space for parking, so people park their cars on the road, which leads to traffic snarls,” said Manoj, a local shopkeeper. Passengers also complain of poor traffic management and absence of Traffic Police at the approaching road, which leads to further chaos.
Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station is one of the five main railway stations in the national Capital which records a daily footfall of more than 3 lakh passengers. The entry from the ISBT side caters to more than 50 per cent of the passengers coming to the station. The station has another entry/exit from Jangpura.
“These autorickshaw drivers park their TSRs on the road and block the entire road leaving no way for other vehicles,” said Ashwini, a visitor to the railway station. Wrongly parked autos choke the entry/exit point, making it difficult for passengers to reach the station. The encroachment and an improper entry and exit plan make the situation worse. Commuters rued that the situation worsens during the night and early morning hours when there is no presence of Traffic Police.
“We have written to the higher authorities that we should develop the rear entry just as the Ajmeri side of New Delhi station has been developed. There’s a blueprint to have a skywalk connecting ISBT with the station that will take off a lot of problems,” said an official at the Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station.