New Delhi, Feb 27: Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw visited Prayagraj to assess Indian Railways' extensive preparations for Maha Kumbh 2025, commending the seamless coordination among various departments. He reiterated the Railways' commitment to ensuring safe, efficient, and comfortable travel for the millions of pilgrims attending the grand religious gathering.
During his visit, Vaishnaw inspected multiple stations under North Central Railway (NCR), North Eastern Railway (NER), and Northern Railway (NR) to evaluate on-ground operations. Recognizing the collective efforts of railway personnel, he personally met and appreciated frontline staff, Railway Protection Force (RPF), Government Railway Police (GRP), engineers, doctors, help desk officials, and booking staff, among others, who contributed to managing an event of this scale.
Indian Railways' Massive Expansion for Maha Kumbh 2025
Indian Railways exceeded its initial operational plan, running 17,152 trains instead of the originally planned 13,000—marking a fourfold increase compared to the last Kumbh. This included:- 7,667 special trains
- 9,485 regular trains
- 66 crore pilgrims attended Maha Kumbh 2025
- 4.24 crore passengers managed at nine key railway stations in Prayagraj alone
- 48 new platforms
- 21 Foot Over Bridges (FoBs)
- Second entry points at key stations
- 1,186 CCTV cameras with facial recognition
- Drone surveillance for crowd control
- 23 permanent holding areas for peak-hour congestion management
Enhanced Passenger Services and Security Measures
Indian Railways introduced multilingual announcements and leaflets in 23 languages to improve passenger communication. Additionally, 554 ticketing counters, including 151 mobile Unreserved Ticketing System (UTS) counters and a QR-based system, were set up for efficient ticket distribution. 21 Road Over Bridges (ROBs) and Underpasses (RUBs) were also constructed for better connectivity.A comprehensive medical and emergency support system was deployed, featuring centralized help desks, ambulances, fire brigades, mobile toilets, and additional catering services in coordination with district authorities.
The extensive preparations underscore Indian Railways' commitment to managing large-scale pilgrim movement and ensuring a seamless Maha Kumbh 2025 experience for millions.