Railways set to run 992 special trains to manage Kumbh Mela rush in 2025

Apart from special trains, the Indian Railways earmarked Rs 933 crore for developing and upgrading different infrastructure and facilities for passengers during Kumbh Mela 2025

Indian railways has started preparations ahead of Maha Kumbh Mela 2025 which is expected to witness a huge surge in the number of visitors. During the Kumbh Mela, a total of 992 special trains will be operationalised to manage the large influx of pilgrims from January 12 to February 28.

 

Pilgrims will take part in Kumbh Mela for several religious events such as Paush Poornima, Makar Sankranti, Mauni Amavasya, Basant Panchami, Maghi Poornima, and Mahashivaratri.

 

The 992 more trains will be in addition to the existing 6580 regular trains operating during the Kumbh Mela. Apart from increasing the number of trains, the railways have also granted stoppages to 140 passing-through trains to allow boarding passengers from Prayagraj areas daily during Kumbh Mela.

 

To improve efficiency, the deployment of  174 longer rakes for these special trains has also been planned by the railway ministry. The railways has allocated Rs 933 crore for the development of infrastructure and enhancement of passenger amenities. 

 

A project worth Rs 3,700 crore is being launched aiming to improve the operations of trains and double the railway tracks in the Prayagraj division. 

Railway Minister chaired a high-level meeting

Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw chaired a high-level meeting, also attended by Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh Bittu and V Somanna, reviewing the Kumbh Mela preparations and discussing the arrangements for special trains. 

 

The minister also directed the GMs to make sure there would be proper arrangements during the festive season with sufficient safety and security measures. 

 

There would be a 42 per cent surge in special trains which were 694 in 2019 Kumbh Mela. The Indian Railways is likely to accommodate around 6 crore visitors to Prayagraj. Additionally, the festive season is expected to see about 20 to 30 crore people undertaking journeys from one part to another. 

Dedicated Freight Corridor

Another milestone for Indian railways is the completion of the Dedicated Freight Corridor which is expected to ease the operational burden on passenger railway lines. The aim of diverting freight traffic is to improve the efficiency and punctuality of passenger services during the Kumbh Mela. 

When is Maha Kumbh taking place?

The Maha Kumbh Mela 2025 will begin on January 13, 2025, with the Paush Purnima Snan, and will conclude on February 26, 2025, coinciding with Maha Shivratri.

 

Several other festivals will also fall in between as Makar Sankranti on January 14, Mauni Amavasya on January 29, and Basant Panchami on February 3, and all are set to take place at the Triveni Sangam in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, India.