Rail Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced that the Railways will run around 13,000 trains, including 3,000 special services, to accommodate the influx of devotees during the Maha Kumbh. Speaking in Prayagraj after arriving from Varanasi to review the preparations, Vaishnaw estimated that between 1.5 to 2 crore passengers will travel to the city by train during the event.
The Maha Kumbh, which begins on January 13 (Paush Purnima) and concludes on February 26 (Mahashivratri), will see massive crowds. Vaishnaw inspected several stations across the Northeast Railway, Northern Railway, and North Central Railway zones in Prayagraj, including a new bridge over the Ganga, set to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi after a century.
“I personally reviewed five stations and found that the holding areas, where devotees can wait for their trains, are well-organized. Colour coding at the holding areas and on tickets will help direct people to the correct platforms,” Vaishnaw explained.
For the first time, the mobile UTS (Unreserved Ticket System) will be deployed in Prayagraj, a system previously used during the Rath Yatra in Puri. Vaishnaw also highlighted significant upgrades, including the doubling of railway tracks on the Prayagraj-Varanasi route, and the expansion of the Phaphamau-Janghai section. Additional entrances have been constructed at key stations, including Jhansi, Phaphamau, Prayagraj, Subedarganj, Naini, and Cheoki.
A dedicated control room has been set up at each station, transmitting live feeds to a central control room at Prayagraj station. This will also integrate CCTV feeds from Maha Kumbh Nagar and police sources, ensuring streamlined coordination throughout the event.
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