Ludhiana, Feb. 27 -- Anticipating a surge of outbound passengers ahead of Holi, Ludhiana Junction railway station has ramped up crowd-management and security measures as thousands of migrant workers prepare to return to their hometowns in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh for the festival.

The station, among the busiest in Punjab, records an average daily footfall of nearly 50,000 commuters. During peak festive periods such as Holi, Diwali and Chhath, the number swells to between 70,000 and 80,000, prompting authorities to initiate pre-emptive arrangements.

To streamline passenger movement and prevent overcrowding, station authorities on Friday set up a large temporary waiting area in the circulating zone to accommodate travellers and their famil...