February 17, 2025: A new report has revealed that the Unreserved Ticketing System (UTS) recorded the sale of 2,600 additional tickets between 6 pm and 8 pm on Saturday, the same day a tragic stampede occurred at New Delhi Railway Station.

The stampede, which took place around 10 pm on platform 16, claimed 18 lives and left more than a dozen injured. The chaos erupted when passengers rushed towards the platform via a narrow staircase, reportedly confused by conflicting train announcements.

Typically, the station records an average of 7,000 ticket sales between 6 pm and 8 pm. However, on the day of the incident, over 9,600 general-class tickets were sold during this period, significantly increasing the number of passengers at the station.

According to the report, over 54,000 general-class tickets were booked via UTS on Saturday. A railway ministry official noted that while the platform was undoubtedly overcrowded, the total ticket sales were still lower than figures recorded on January 29 and February 8, when 58,000 and 54,660 general-class tickets were sold, respectively. "The crowd could have been managed," the official stated.

Another railway official linked the rush to the ongoing Maha Kumbh pilgrimage, explaining that ticket checks on key routes had been relaxed. "Because of the Maha Kumbh, Indian Railways is not conducting ticket checks on many crucial routes. The rush is massive, with passengers struggling for standing space inside trains. The UTS ticket figures provide an estimate, but the actual crowd was likely much higher," the official said.

Experts believe the tragedy could have been averted had railway authorities anticipated the surge in passengers based on the unusually high number of ticket sales during peak hours.