As preparations for Mahakumbh 2025 gain momentum, the Railways are making extensive arrangements to enhance the experience for devotees and visitors, focusing on the availability of clean and hygienic food. The Prayagraj division has directed all catering stall license holders to maintain prescribed rates, cleanliness, and hygiene in food services. Stalls are required to keep goods well-organized, ensure employees wear proper uniforms with nameplates, and exhibit polite behavior toward devotees.
To accommodate the massive influx of pilgrims and tourists, the Railways are continuously expanding services. Senior Divisional Commercial Manager (Coaching), Himanshu Shukla, stated that Mahakumbh 2025 is expected to attract crores of devotees from India and abroad, many of whom will travel by train. He emphasized the Railways’ commitment to providing top-notch services with complete dedication, assuring full preparedness for the event. Shukla reiterated the importance of adhering to food rates, maintaining hygiene, and ensuring well-organized stalls with polite and properly dressed staff.
He also announced regular and surprise inspections of stalls and passenger facilities. License holders have been instructed to promptly provide details of their base kitchens. Stalls are encouraged to display visitor books for feedback from devotees, and staff are invited to contribute suggestions for improving public amenities.
Over 13,000 trains will operate to facilitate the movement of devotees during Mahakumbh, including 10,000 regular trains and over 3,000 special trains. To manage the anticipated passenger surge, 560 ticketing points will be established across nine railway stations—Prayagraj Junction, Subedarganj, Naini, Prayagraj Chheoki, Prayag Junction, Phaphamau, Prayagraj Rambagh, Prayagraj Sangam, and Jhunsi—as well as within the fair area. At Prayagraj Junction alone, 132 counters will handle ticket distribution, capable of issuing up to 10 lakh tickets daily.
The Railways have also introduced a 15-day advance ticket booking facility for the Kumbh Mela. A toll-free helpline number, 1800 4199 139, has been active since November 1, 2024, and will operate round-the-clock with four operators per shift. The helpline will provide assistance in languages such as Odia, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, and Bengali during the event.
To ensure seamless communication, a multilingual announcement system will offer travel-related updates in 12 languages, including Hindi, English, Gujarati, Marathi, Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, Bengali, Odia, Punjabi, and Assamese. The double-engine government, led by the Yogi Adityanath administration and the central government, is fully committed to the success of Mahakumbh 2025, ensuring maximum convenience for all devotees.