Maha Kumbh: Railways operates additional trains to facilitate travellers

New Delhi: With the large number of devotees expected to arrive to take part in Mauni Amavasya on Wednesday in the Maha Kumbh Mela in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj, the Indian Railways is operating additional trains to facilitate travellers.

"The railways is operating an all-time high of 360 trains from Prayagraj Station, including 190 special trains, 110 regular trains, and 50-60 MEMU trains, to cater to the demand for Mauni Amavasya," Chairman and CEO of the Railway Board, Satish Kumar, told media here.

The railways has developed infrastructure worth Rs 5,000 crore in and around Prayagraj to support the Maha Kumbh Mela, ensuring timely upgrades and enhanced capacity.

The key infrastructure developments such as new Road Under Bridges (RUBs) and Road Over Bridges (ROBs), track doubling and station upgrades, which have made this record-breaking train service possible by decongesting the Rail lines, he said.

"In case of emergencies, First Aid booths and medical observation rooms will provide the needed assistance. At Prayagraj Junction and Prayagraj Chheoki, the Yatri Suvidha Kendra will assist devotees with wheelchairs, luggage trolleys, hotel and taxi bookings, medicines, baby milk and other essentials," he said.

For better crowd management, Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel are deployed at railway stations to ensure seamless boarding and deboarding. A special RPF team has been assigned to ensure the safety of devotees during the ongoing Maha Kumbh, he said.

To facilitate smooth movement, colour-coded tickets and designated Ashriya Asthals have been introduced. RPF personnel escort devotees from the Ashriya Asthals and assist them in reaching the trains.

Holding areas have been set up both at Prayagraj station and outside the station, where food, water, and other essential facilities are provided for up to one lakh people. Medical teams are also stationed at the locations, ready to attend to any devotee who requires immediate care.

In a coordinated effort with the Uttar Pradesh government, Indian Railways has established multiple holding areas where passengers can wait comfortably in tents.

These areas are equipped with food arrangements and display information in several languages. One of the largest such areas is Khusro Bagh, located just outside Prayagraj station, which can accommodate up to 1 lakh passengers at a time, he said.