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Maha Kumbh Mela: Special arrangements to handle passengers’ influx at rly station
- The initiative includes coloured enclosures to ensure passenger safety and prevent stampede-like situations and help travelers to reach their destinations safe and sound
- Each enclosure can accommodate approximately 5,000 passengers at a time, and equipped with essential amenities such as drinking water, toilets, and mobile charging stations
Prayagraj: The North Central Railway (NCR) has put in place a unique crowd management system for the upcoming Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj to ensure passenger safety and prevent stampede-like situations by having coloured enclosures so that the passengers can visit their destinations in a quick time.
Extensive preparations have been made at Prayagraj Junction Railway Station to accommodate the influx of devotees. From Telangana and Andhra Pradesh alone, 64 and 42 special trains respectively will operate, with more trains to be added based on demand during the 45-day event. NCR Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) Shashikant Tripathi explained that large enclosures in four distinct colors, yellow, blue, red, and green—have been established near the station for unreserved passengers. For example, travelers heading to Telangana and Andhra Pradesh will be directed to the yellow enclosure.
Each enclosure is equipped with essential amenities such as drinking water, toilets, and mobile charging stations.
Twenty ticket counters are in place within these zones, and volunteers will assist passengers in boarding their trains. Each enclosure can accommodate approximately 5,000 passengers at a time. To aid communication, announcements will be made in 13 different languages.
To streamline operations, NCR has expanded its ticketing capacity to handle up to 10 lakh tickets daily. A robust four-stage power backup system is in place to prevent outages.
Additionally, first aid booths and medical observation rooms are being set up across the stations. A toll-free helpline (1800-4199-139) and multilingual leaflets in 12 languages will further assist passengers.
In preparation for the massive turnout, over 200 rakes are being readied, and NCR plans to operate more than 13,000 trains during the Mela, including 3,000 special trains—a significant increase from the 694 trains during the 2019 Kumbh. For the first time, eight Ring Rail services will connect key religious destinations like Ayodhya, Varanasi, and Chitrakoot daily. Addressing security, Tripathi highlighted that all nine stations in Prayagraj are under surveillance with 1,186 CCTV cameras, including 116 AI-enabled face recognition cameras, enhancing the ability to locate missing persons and monitor suspicious activities.
In terms of healthcare, a 10-bed mini-ICU equipped with state-of-the-art equipment, including defibrillators, will operate around the clock. This facility will be staffed by 20 to 21 doctors, paramedics, and contractual staff. Additionally, 13,000 trained Railway Police Force personnel will be available to provide CPR when needed.
Reflecting on the last Kumbh, Tripathi noted that medical teams successfully treated 20,000 patients. These comprehensive measures aim to ensure a safe and well-organised experience for the millions of pilgrims expected at the Maha Kumbh Mela
