Maha Kumbh Mela 2025: Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Chairman of the Railway Board, Satish Kumar, have recently revealed the extensive preparations made by Indian Railways for Mahakumbh 2025. Vaishnaw announced that Indian Railways has made significant investments to prepare for the Maha Kumbh 2025. Over the past three years, approximately Rs 5,000 crore has been allocated to enhance railway infrastructure, ensuring a smoother experience for the influx of pilgrims. Key developments include:

  • Doubling railway lines to increase capacity.
  • Construction of new platforms and high-quality holding areas for crowd management.
  • Building a new bridge over River Ganga to improve connectivity.

24/7 Monitoring and Crowd Management

To ensure seamless operations during the event, a centralised ‘war room’ has been established at Prayagraj Junction and at the Railway Board headquarters. These war rooms will operate round-the-clock to monitor train movements and coordinate with state and railway police for effective crowd management.

To assist passengers, color-coded holding areas have been introduced, simplifying directions for travelers. Additionally, booklets in 22 languages and announcements in 12 Indian languages have been prepared to cater to the diverse linguistic backgrounds of the pilgrims.

Special Trains for Pilgrims

Union Minister Jitendra Singh, representing Udhampur, announced that three special trains have been scheduled between Katra and Prayagraj for the convenience of pilgrims.

The first train will depart from Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra station on January 24, 2025, and reach Prayagraj on January 25. The return journey will begin on January 26, with the train arriving back in Katra on January 27. Timings for the remaining two special trains will be shared at a later date.

North Central Railway’s Extensive Plans

The North Central Railway (NCR) has made elaborate arrangements to handle the massive influx of devotees. Over 300 trains, including 80 special services, are planned to ensure smooth transportation for pilgrims arriving in Prayagraj.

In total over 13,000 trains will operate during the festival, including 10,000 regular trains and 3,000 special trains to accommodate the large influx of pilgrims.

Multilingual Announcements and Special Arrangements at Railway Stations

Satish Kumar also elaborated on passenger-centric measures. He said that announcements will be made in 12 languages for the convenience of a diverse group of travelers. And special arrangements have been implemented to assist elderly passengers.