NEW DELHI: While the just-concluded Mahakumbh has made history with over 66 crore pilgrims visiting Prayagraj, Indian Railways has also set a record by operating more than 17,000 trains for the 45-day religious festival. The nine railway stations in Prayagraj managed the movement of over 4.5 crore passengers during the Mahakumbh.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw visited Prayagraj on Thursday and expressed his gratitude to all railway employees and others who helped manage the massive influx of passengers during the Mahakumbh. During his visit, the minister praised the seamless coordination between various departments and reaffirmed Indian Railways’ commitment to facilitating safe, efficient and comfortable travel for all.
The railways significantly exceeded its initial operational plan for Mahakumbh 2025. A total of 13,500 trains were initially planned, but the railways surpassed this by running 17,152 trains, including 7,667 special trains and 9,485 regular trains.
According to an official statement issued by the railways on Thursday, it implemented extensive infrastructural and operational enhancements across the nine key stations in Prayagraj, adding second entry points, 48 platforms, and 21 Foot over Bridges (FoBs) to streamline movement.
"Surveillance was strengthened with 1,186 CCTV cameras, including facial recognition technology, and drone monitoring for crowd control. To manage peak-hour congestion, 23 permanent holding areas were established, while multilingual announcements and leaflets in 23 languages improved passenger communication," the Ministry of Railways stated.
Additionally, ticketing facilities were expanded with 554 counters, including 151 mobile UTS counters and a QR-based system. Furthermore, 21 Road Over and Under Bridges (ROBs and RUBs) were constructed to ensure seamless connectivity. A robust medical and emergency support system to ensure passenger safety and convenience was also raised by the railway.
"To maintain smooth passenger movement, parcel traffic was restricted, and an app-based system was introduced for efficient staff deployment and accommodation. Continuous monitoring of rakes, coaches, and locomotives ensured operational efficiency, while focused efforts enabled the swift completion of the last 34 km of track linking in the Varanasi-Prayagraj section within a month," the railways said.
Speaking about the preparations made by Railways during Mahakumbh-2025, Vaishnaw said that all goods trains were diverted to dedicated freight corridors, and over 200 rakes were provided in the Kumbh area with either train sets or engines on both sides (to avoid shunting operations).
The railways invested Rs 5,000 crore in infrastructure enhancements. "Work began two-and-a-half years ago in Prayagraj for the Mahakumbh, with an investment of about Rs 5,000 crore. More than 21 flyovers and underpasses were built, a bridge was constructed on the Ganga River, holding areas at every station in Prayagraj were created, in addition to other passenger amenities," the minister said. He also highlighted the holding area built at Khusro Bagh in Prayagraj as a significant innovation that helped greatly in managing the crowds. Holding areas were also constructed at Jhunsi, Chheoki, Prayagraj Junction, and other stations.
The Railway Minister thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for their continuous guidance and support to the railways. He also expressed his thanks to Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and the governments of neighbouring states for their unwavering cooperation in managing the massive influx of pilgrims.
During his visit, the Railway Minister personally met and extended his appreciation to every individual of the Railway Workforce who played a role in managing an event of such magnitude. He also expressed his gratitude to TTEs, drivers, assistant drivers, signal and telecom personnel, TRD and electrical teams, ASMs, control officials, trackmen, and railway administrators, whose coordinated efforts ensured the smooth execution of this massive undertaking.
