Indian Railways is making elaborate arrangements to ferry pilgrims for the coming Kumbh Mela at Allahabad (Prayagraj). The global event will start on 14 January, Makar Sankranti, next year and conclude on 4 March, Maha Shivratri.
The Railways will operate five fully air-conditioned trains for non-resident Indians (NRIs) from Allahabad to New Delhi during the Kumbh Mela, besides Mainline Electric Multiple Unit (MEMU) trains, which will be based in Kanpur. The Mela is expected to be attended by over 5,000 NRIs. These special trains for NRIs will have completely AC II bogies with facilities equivalent to the latest rakes of Humsafar Express. The Railways will ensure superior level cleanliness in these bogies by mechanised cleaning. During the six main bathing days, there will be 800 originating Mela Special Trains. Besides, there will be nine special tourist package trains from different zones during the Mela, said an official of the Ministry of Railways.
The North Central Railway (NCR) is in the process of improving infrastructure at the Prayagraj railway station, for which it is spending Rs 700 crore. “We are constructing four big enclosures to house about 10,000 pilgrims at the Allahabad station. These enclosures will have vending stalls, water booths, ticket counters, LCD TVs, public address system, CCTV cameras and separate ladies and gents toilets,” he said.
A skywalk is being constructed which will connect to foot over-bridges. A new platform number 11 is also being developed at the railway station. The main foot over-bridge (FOB) connecting all tracks is being widened by 6 metres. Besides, a new FOB will be completed by November. Allahabad’s neighbouring Subedarganj is being developed as terminal station with a provision of a new platform, new FOB, and extension of the existing platform. The NCR is also developing the neighbouring Prayag station as a coaching terminal. There will be five new platforms, two washing lines and a new station building with basement. “Pilgrims’ movement plan and holding area plans within Railway premises have been finalised for all the stations in the Allahabad area. We will be using advanced analytics, computer simulations and the latest cutting-edge technology to ensure that the rush of pilgrims during the Mela is managed effectively and also that the Mela experience is pleasant and memorable for pilgrims,” the official said.