The Indian Railways will run 1,200 special trains from various regions of the nation to accommodate devotees who desire to attend the huge holy event. The railway administration anticipates that nearly 40 crore devotees would attend the celebration in Prayagraj.
Over 24 crore people participated in the 2019 Kumbh Mela. The railways had allocated Rs 837 crore for passenger comfort and the building of 19 ROBs (rail overbridges) and RUBs (rail underbridges) in the city. Four of the 19 ROBs and RUBs are nearly finished and will be commissioned this month. Construction on seven is well underway, while work on eight has yet to begin.
Himanshu Badoni, divisional railway manager (DRM), Prayagraj division of North Central Railway (NCR), delivered a report on NCR, North Eastern Railway (NER), and Northern Railway (NR) readiness.
According to Badoni, 800 trains with eight carriages operated during Kumbh 2019. “This time around, each train will have 16 coaches, and the number of trains will be increased. It can be raised more if necessary,” he explained.
Trains will run from Prayagraj Junction, Subedarganj, Naini, Cheoki, Prayagraj Rambagh, Jhunsi, Prayagraj Sangam, Prayag, and Phaphamau stations in the city, according to officials. He stated that a deadline of October 2024 has been set for the completion of all railway-related works. According to the source, around 15 crore people are scheduled to come by train on six major days, for which railways would improve amenities, reported HS.
