Devotees wait in queues for food which is being served for free, upon their arrival on the eve of ‘Maha Shivratri’ festival, during the ongoing Maha Kumbh Mela 2025, in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, on February 25, 2025.
| Photo Credit: PTI

With over 63.36 crore pilgrims having taken a holy dip in the Maha Kumbh Mela at Prayagraj, and over 1.11 crore visiting the place on Tuesday (February 25, 2025), the Ministry of Railways is bracing to run 350 trains from Prayagraj during Maha Sivaratri to cater to swelling crowds.

The final Amrit Snan of Maha Kumbh 2025 is scheduled for February 26 and large number of pilgrims from various States, including Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bengal, and others, have gathered in Prayagraj to bathe at the Sangam, the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati rivers, Railways spokesperson said.

Similarly, special arrangements have been made to run additional trains after the Maha Sivaratri snan, and extra rakes have been stationed near Prayagraj for use as needed. Initially, the Railway had planned for the operation of approximately 13,500 trains during the Maha Kumbh, and as of the 42nd day, more than 15,000 trains, including a large number of special trains, have already been run.

On Sunday and Monday, there was a high number of passengers at stations such as Patna, Danapur, Muzaffarpur, Gaya, Sasaram, Katihar, Khagaria, Saharsa, Jaynagar, and Darbhanga in Bihar. Similarly, there was an increased number of pilgrims at stations in Uttar Pradesh, such as Gorakhpur, Lucknow, Ayodhya, Varanasi, Kanpur, Gonda, Deen Dayal Upadhyay, and Jhansi, among others, the spokesperson further stated.

Stations in Madhya Pradesh like Chitrakoot, Jabalpur, Satna, and Khajuraho also saw high footfall, while a significant number of passengers also travelled from Jharkhand’s Dhanbad, Bokaro, Ranchi, Garhwa, and Medininagar stations to Prayagraj, Ministry of Railways has noted. 

“After the Amrit Snan, a large number of people are expected to return to their hometowns, which will likely lead to a heavy crowd at railway stations. Keeping this in mind, North Central Railway, North Eastern Railway, and Northern Railway have made extensive preparations, and all officials and staff have been directed to remain vigilant at their workstations,” the spokesperson said. 

On the occasion of Mouni Amavasya, over 360 trains were run, successfully transporting more than 20 lakh people to their destinations.

Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has instructed the Chairman of Railway Board and General Managers of All Zonal Railways to ensure complete care of the Maha Kumbh passengers and, if necessary, run additional special trains.

In light of the en masse pilgrims expected on Maha Sivaratri, the Railway administration has made arrangements for the convenience of passengers, including security, shelters, easy ticketing apart from running a large number of trains. “Over 1,500 commercial department staff and 3,000 Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel have been deployed at all stations in Prayagraj region,” the spokesperson said. 

Additionally, 29 squads of Railway Protection Special Force, two squads of Women Railway Protection Special Force, 22 dog squads, and two bomb disposal squads have been stationed in Prayagraj. Teams from Scouts and Guides, Civil Defence, and other departments are working to provide better travel facilities to the pilgrims.

To ensure a smooth journey for pilgrims, internal movement plans have been implemented at all stations in the Prayagraj region, and pilgrims have been sent to their destinations via special trains. “At Prayagraj Junction, passengers were directed to specific shelters based on their destinations and then taken by special trains to their respective locations. When the number of passengers increased, the railway implemented its emergency plan by holding passengers at Khusro Bagh and passengers were directed to enter the station safely through passenger shelters before boarding the trains,” the spokesperson said. 

On Sunday, the railway successfully operated 335 trains, transporting over 16 lakh people to their destinations.