The Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj will witness four new ring rail circles to be launched for better connectivity. They will connect Varanasi-Prayagraj, Prayagraj-Ayodhya, Ayodhya-Kashi, and a Prayagraj circle. Special trains will run from 50 cities across the country to ensure easy accessibility to the event.
The Railway Minister announced that during the Maha Kumbh, there would be direct train connections from all corners of the country to Prayagraj. Reserved trains would operate from long-distance cities such as Chennai and Mumbai along with 50 other cities, thus ensuring safe and efficient travel options for all attendees.
New Safety Measures at Railway Stations For Maha Kumbh
To handle this huge crowd and ensure seamless movement, a special system is put in place at railway stations in Prayagraj. The passengers will move only in one direction by foot on bridges to stop the cross movement and create a better crowd management mechanism. This system will be as was implemented at Ayodhya Railway Station during the Pran Pratishtha ceremony last year.
Under this color-coding system, passengers will follow specific routes and get up at the colored platforms. For example, travelers destined for Lucknow would have to enter by the blue-colored shelter area because that happens to be where their tickets are color-coded blue. Blue-colored direction signs guide them to the platform.
Facilities for Comfort and Convenience
The Railway Minister said that 23 passengers shelters have been built at stations to cater to the visitor. The ticketing process has also been made easy without long queues. General tickets will be issued by mobile ticketing machines-cum-staff at shelters and waiting halls, and one can also buy tickets through a mobile app. Besides, 554 counters for unreserved tickets have been opened to cater to all ticketing needs.
There will be a total of 18,000 RPF and GRP personnel during the event. This comprises 8,000 RPF and 10,000 GRP members who will be aided by 13,000 railway officials and staff from all across the country. Most of these staff members are multi-lingual and include fluency in Hindi, English, Tamil, Kannada, Odia, Malayalam, Marathi, Punjabi, Bengali, and Gujarati, ensuring proper communication among the varied participants.
Multilingual Booklet for Visitors
To assist non-Hindi-speaking pilgrims, the railway administration has prepared a pocket booklet in 12 regional languages, including Tamil, Kannada, Odia, Malayalam, Marathi, and others. This will help make the journey more comfortable for those who do not speak Hindi.
PM Modi’s Visit to Maha Kumbh Mela and Special Arrangements
Special reserved trains will operate from cities like Guwahati, Mumbai CST, Nagpur, Pune, Secunderabad, Visakhapatnam, Bhubaneswar, Puri, Chennai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Patna, and many more that will take the devotees directly to Prayagraj.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be coming to Prayagraj on December 13. He will be inaugurating projects worth around ₹7,000 crore, which are related to the Maha Kumbh. Preparations for the visit are in place, including setting up tents for a public gathering at Sangam. Meanwhile, the Nishadraj cruise is being prepared to take the PM from Aril to Sangam, where he will perform Ganga Poojan and address the gathering for about an hour.
Massive Train Operations During Maha Kumbh
For those visiting Maha Kumbh from surrounding regions, Ayodhya will also witness special arrangements. A shelter capable of accommodating 3,000 people is being constructed by the municipal corporation to support pilgrims arriving in large numbers for the occasion.
The railway will operate 13,000 trains over the 45-day period in preparation for the Maha Kumbh. This includes 3,000 special trains and 10,000 regular ones. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced this while paying visits to Varanasi and Prayagraj on Sunday to review the arrangements.
