Railway Minister expresses gratitude to the exceptional efforts of Rail Karmayogi at Prayagraj, Mahakumbh!
Record 17000+ trains operated during Mahakumbh 2025!
Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw visits Prayagraj, congratulates Rail Parivar - Everyone - for extraordinary work during Mahakumbh!
New Delhi, 27th February 2025: Hon’ble Railway Minister, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, undertook a morning visit to Prayagraj to personally review Indian Railways’ extensive preparations for Mahakumbh 2025. Recognising the scale and significance of this grand religious gathering, he visited various stations under North Central Railway (NCR), North Eastern Railway (NER), and Northern Railway (NR) to assess on-ground operations. During his visit, he interacted with railway personnel, inspected key arrangements, and ensured that all systems were functioning smoothly to accommodate the unprecedented influx of devotees. Shri Vaishnaw also lauded the seamless coordination between different departments and reaffirmed Indian Railways’ commitment to facilitating safe, efficient, and comfortable travel for all pilgrims. Railway Minister thanked Hon'ble Prime Minister for his continuous guidance and also thanked Hon’ble Home Minister Shri Amit Shah, Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Shri Yogi Adityanath, Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Shri Mohan Yadav, and the governments of neighboring states for their unwavering cooperation in handling the massive influx of pilgrims.
Railway Minister Commends the Outstanding Dedication of Rail Karmayogis
During his visit, the Railway Minister personally met and extended his appreciation towards every individual of the Railway Workforce who played a role in managing an event of this magnitude.
From frontline staff assisting passengers to RPF, GRP and police personnel ensuring security, from engineers maintaining seamless train operations to safai karmis upholding cleanliness, and from doctors and paramedics providing medical aid to help desk officials and booking staff facilitating travel—each contribution was recognised. He also extended 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. He thanked every employee starting from the first to last row personally. He personally thanked every employee, from the first to the last row, walking through the stations, exchanging words of encouragement, and expressing heartfelt gratitude to those who worked tirelessly around the clock to ensure a seamless Mahakumbh 2025 experience for millions of pilgrims.
Unprecedented Scale of Rail Operations
Indian Railways significantly exceeded its initial operational plan for Mahakumbh 2025. A total of 17,152 trains were run, surpassing the originally planned 13,000 trains, marking a fourfold increase compared to the last Kumbh. This included 7,667 special trains and 9,485 regular trains, ensuring that pilgrims reached their destinations smoothly and efficiently. The total number of pilgrims attending Mahakumbh stood at 66 crore, with 4.24 crore passengers handled at the nine key railway stations of Prayagraj alone.
Enhanced Passenger Facilities in Prayagraj Region
To accommodate the vast number of pilgrims, Indian Railways implemented extensive infrastructural and operational enhancements across 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. Ticketing facilities were expanded with 554 counters, including 151 mobile UTS counters and a QR-based system. Additionally, 21 Road Over and Under Bridges (ROBs/RUBs) were constructed to ensure seamless connectivity.
Strengthening Medical and Emergency Preparedness
Indian Railways implemented a robust medical and emergency support system to ensure passenger safety and convenience. Centralised help desks, medical facilities, ambulances, fire brigades, and mobile toilets were deployed in coordination with district authorities, while additional catering services were arranged at stations. 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.
A Testament to Indian Railways' Commitment
The seamless execution of Mahakumbh 2025 operations stands as a testament to Indian Railways’ unwavering dedication to public service. Through multi-tier coordination and advanced crowd management, the Railway network successfully transported millions of devotees.
Acknowledging this extraordinary effort, Railway Minister Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw personally expressed his gratitude to the entire rail workforce whose relentless dedication ensured smooth and efficient travel for all. Their commitment and teamwork have once again set a new benchmark in large-scale operational excellence, reinforcing Indian Railways’ role as the backbone of the nation’s transport system.
Preparations made by Railways during Mahakumbh-2025:
● All the goods trains have been diverted in DFC
● +200 rakes have been provided in the Kumbh area having either train set or engines on both sides (to avoid shunting operations)
● 5,000 Cr work done in last 3 years for Maha Kumbh area
○ Banaras - Prayagraj doubling (including Ganga bridge)
○ Phaphamau - Janghai doubling
● 17,152 trains Run for Mahakumbh against 13,000 planned trains , 4 times more than the last Kumbh ( Special Trains, 7,667 and regular trains 9,485 = 17,152)
● Total No. of pilgrims to kumbh 66 crore (Out of which 4.24 crore passengers handled at 9 Kumbh railway stations of Prayagraj) Passenger facilities in prayagraj area
● 9 Stations, all with second entry, 48 PF, 21 FoB
● 1,186 CCTV (10 % cameras with facial recognition), Drones for surveillance
● 23 permanent holding areas
● Announcement in 12 languages at Prayagraj, Naini, Cheoki and Subedarganj and information leaflets in 23 languages
● 554 ticket counters (151 mobile UTS) & also QR based Ticketing facility
● 21 ROB/RUBs : Improving mobility of road as well as rail
● Color coding :
Colour coding of holding areas and tickets for easy
identification and direction-wise segregation of passengers.
Red: Lucknow, Ayodhya
Blue: DDU, Sasaram, Patrna
Yellow: Manikpur, Jhansi, Satna, Katni, MP area
Green: Kanpur, Agra, Delhi
● 5 tier Monitoring System:
PF/ holding area → Station → Division→ Zonal →Railway Board war room
● 13,000 extra staff deployed
● RPSF women’s team 2 battalion, 22 Dog squad, 1000+ Sanitation workers, 1,500+ TTE and booking staff , More than 3,000 running staff (Guard, driver and Astt driver)
● Medical help provided to more than 3 lakh pilgrims
Special arrangements done
● Adequate holding areas made for passengers at critical stations - 20 acre area
● Fixed barricading, Segregated pathways, Signages to guide & control passengers movement
● 24 x 7 Intensive deployment of Railway manpower: More Staff at Peak Hours
○ Help from Scout /Guides for crowd guidance.
● Coordination with Chief Secretary, DGP, District Collectors & SPs,
Magistrates and thanas
● Close Coordination & Monitoring with State Govt through Focussed
WhatsApp Groups and live monitoring of Crowd Inflow/ Movement + Bulk Bus Movement + Vehicular Movement
● Additional ticketing arrangements:Additional windows (Portable UTS
Counters) in the holding areas
● Regular Manual Announcements: from PA system and Megaphone in the entire station area & platforms.
● Special Mela Trains: as per the need to clear passengers rush
● Extra halts: provided to regular Mail/Express trains for boarding/de-boarding of passengers to handle heavy rush.
● 5 tier coordination: PF→Station→Division→Zonal→Railway Board war room
○ Hot lines communication and CCTV Monitoring of crowds at Platforms, FOB, Entry/Exits and holding areas.
● Central help desk at enquiry counter and in the holding areas.
● Basic medical facilities
● Increased Catering provided in circulating areas / stations.
● Ambulance, Fire Brigade and Mobile Toilets have been arranged with the help of Civil / District Administration.
● Parcel traffic has been restricted to facilitate free passenger movement.
● App based deployment of other division’s staffs and their resting arrangements
● Rake, coach and loco monitoring
● Assistance to stakeholders in deploying manpower for track linking of the last 34 km in a month in Varanasi - Prayagraj section.
