Railways gears up for Maha Kumbh Mela with advanced facilities | Fusion - WeRIndia

In preparation for the Maha Kumbh 2025 in Prayagraj, Indian Railways has launched a series of initiatives to ensure safe and seamless travel for millions of pilgrims.

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw unveiled these measures, focusing on modernized infrastructure and technology-driven services to manage the 45-day mega event.

The Railway Board announced a 24×7 Kumbh War Room to monitor and coordinate operations during the event.

Staffed by officials from various departments, the war room will work with district authorities to address challenges in real time.

To enhance security, 1,176 CCTV cameras have been installed across nine stations in the Prayagraj region.

Real-time monitoring from these cameras will help ensure the safety of pilgrims.

For better communication, a 12-language announcement system has been introduced at major stations, including Prayagraj, Naini, Cheoki, and Subedarganj.

Additionally, a facilitation booklet in 22 languages has been prepared to provide essential information to pilgrims.

During the Maha Kumbh Mela, Indian Railways will operate 10,000 regular trains, 3,134 special trains (a 4.5-fold increase from the previous Kumbh), and 1,869 short-distance trains.

To further streamline operations, freight trains have been diverted to dedicated freight corridors.

The Railway Board has invested ₹5,000 crore over the past three years to develop Kumbh-related infrastructure.

Key developments include:

• 48 platforms and 21 foot-over bridges to handle the increased passenger flow.
• 23 permanent holding areas with a capacity for over one lakh pilgrims.
• 554 ticket counters, including 151 mobile UTS counters.
• 21 road over/under bridges for better connectivity.

Special colour-coded tickets and barcode-enabled UTS systems have been introduced to simplify ticketing and reduce congestion.

These efforts reflect Indian Railways’ commitment to creating a safe, efficient, and modern travel experience for the 40 crore pilgrims expected, including five crore on Mauni Amavasya alone.

These initiatives not only aim to ensure smooth operations but also highlight Indian Railways’ dedication to supporting cultural events with world-class infrastructure.

Image Credit: Superfast1111, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Image Reference: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:12418_Prayagraj_Express_-_AC_3_tier_with_Prayagraj_Kumbh_2019_decal.jpg