Mahakumbh Rush: One train every 4.22 minutes, 12.5L pilgrims moved on Sunday
North Central Railway general manager Upendra Chandra Joshi is overseeing the situation from the war room, while divisional railway manager of Prayagraj Division Himanshu Badoni is monitoring developments from the control room, officials shared.
The railways in Prayagraj transported 12.5 lakh devotees in a single day, ensuring smooth travel for pilgrims amid the overwhelming rush of Mahakumbh-2025. To handle the surge, railways across three zones—North Central Railway, Northern Railway, and North Eastern Railway—operated one train every 4.22 minutes on Sunday. A total of 330 trains, including 158 Mahakumbh special services, were deployed to meet the demand, officials said.
On Monday, a similar influx of pilgrims was witnessed, but prior planning allowed authorities to manage operations without emergency measures. By 3 pm, 191 trains had carried 8.18 lakh devotees, according to the officials.
North Central Railway’s chief public relations officer Shashikant Tripathi stated that additional trains were arranged based on passenger routes. Among the Mahakumbh special services, North Central Railway operated 114, Northern Railway ran 20, and North Eastern Railway managed 25. These special and routine trains were dispatched from key stations such as Prayagraj Junction, Chheoki, Naini, Subedarganj, Prayag, Phaphamau, Rambagh, and Jhunsi.
In total, the railway has planned to operate 13,450 trains throughout the fair, including 10,028 regular services and over 3,400 special trains. According to the officials, continuous train operations are being maintained to ensure smooth travel in all directions from Prayagraj.
North Central Railway general manager Upendra Chandra Joshi is overseeing the situation from the war room, while divisional railway manager of Prayagraj Division Himanshu Badoni is monitoring developments from the control room, officials shared.