Indian Railways gears up for  final Amrit Snan of Mahakumbh, to operate 350 trains from Prayagraj

After the Amrit Snan, a large number of people are expected to return to their hometowns, which will likely lead to a heavy crowd at railway stations

Elaborate plans have been put in place for the safe return of pilgrims who have gathered at Prayagraj Maha Kumbh from various parts of the country for the final Amrit Snan on Maha Shivratri, the Railway Ministry said on Tuesday.

Indian Railways will operate more than 350 trains from Prayagraj as the final Amrit Snan of Mahakumbh 2025 is scheduled for February 26. A large number of pilgrims from various states, including Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bengal, and others, have gathered in Prayagraj to bathe at the Sangam, the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati rivers.

According to the Railway Ministry, for the past two days, Sunday and Monday,  there was a high number of passengers at stations such as Patna, Danapur, Muzaffarpur, Gaya, Sasaram, Katihar, Khagaria, Saharsa, Jaynagar, and Darbhanga in Bihar. Similarly, there was an increased number of pilgrims at stations in Uttar Pradesh, such as Gorakhpur, Lucknow, Ayodhya, Varanasi, Kanpur, Gonda, Deen Dayal Upadhyay, and Jhansi, among others. Stations in Madhya Pradesh like Chitrakoot, Jabalpur, Satna, and Khajuraho also saw high footfall, while a significant number of passengers also travelled from Jharkhand's Dhanbad, Bokaro, Ranchi, Garhwa, and Medininagar stations to Prayagraj.

"After the Amrit Snan, a large number of people are expected to return to their hometowns, which will likely lead to a heavy crowd at railway stations." "Keeping this in mind, North Central Railway, North Eastern Railway, and Northern Railway have made extensive preparations, and all officials and staff have been directed to remain vigilant at their workstations," the statement added.

Indian Railways have made arrangements to run additional trains after the Maha Shivaratri Snan, and extra rakes have been stationed near Prayagraj for use as needed. Initially, the railway had planned for the operation of approximately 13,500 trains during the Mahakumbh, and as of the 42nd day, more than 15,000 trains, including a large number of special trains, have already been run. The entire railway operation is being closely monitored by Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.

In light of the en masse pilgrims expected on Maha Shivaratri, the railway administration has made arrangements for the convenience of passengers, including security, shelters, easy ticketing apart from running a large number of trains. "Over 1,500 commercial department staff and 3,000 Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel have been deployed at all stations in Prayagraj region," according to an official statement.

Additionally, 29 squads of Railway Protection Special Force, 2 squads of Women Railway Protection Special Force, 22 dog squads, and 2 bomb disposal squads have been stationed in Prayagraj. Teams from Scouts & Guides, Civil Defense, and other departments are working to provide better travel facilities to the pilgrims.