Delhi Police urges passengers to reach stations early amid heightened security

With security tightened across the national capital in the wake of recent incidents, the Delhi Police on Thursday issued a detailed travel advisory urging passengers to reach railway stations, metro stations and the airport significantly ahead of their scheduled departure times.

Joint Commissioner of Police (Transport Range) Milind Dumbre said the advisory, issued on Wednesday, aims to prevent overcrowding and ensure smooth movement through enhanced security layers now in place at major transport hubs. The heightened vigilance follows an overall upgrade in security checks across Delhi, particularly around sensitive installations and high-footfall transit points.

According to the advisory, rail passengers should arrive at least one hour before their train’s departure, while metro commuters have been asked to reach stations at least 20 minutes early to account for longer queues and intensified frisking.

For flyers, the police have recommended arriving at the airport a minimum of three hours before scheduled flights, in line with the increased screening protocols put in place by both airport security and city police teams.

Dumbre said the measures include multi-layered checking of vehicles, thorough baggage inspections, metal detector scanning, and physical frisking, all of which are expected to slow down entry into stations.

Additional police deployment has been made at entry and exit points of the New Delhi, Old Delhi, Anand Vihar and Hazrat Nizamuddin railway stations, as well as at interchange metro hubs.

“Security teams are conducting detailed checks of passengers, luggage and vehicles entering these facilities. These steps are precautionary in nature but essential in the current scenario,” the Joint Commissioner said. He emphasised that the public’s cooperation would be crucial for ensuring both safety and travel convenience.

The police have also advised commuters to avoid carrying unnecessary luggage, keep identity documents handy and factor in extra time for parking checks at airports and railway stations. Passengers have been urged to follow security personnel’s instructions without resistance and report any suspicious activity immediately.

Dumbre reiterated that while the enhanced measures may cause delays, they are aimed at ensuring the safety of the lakhs of people moving through the capital’s transport grid every day.

With PTI inputs