Prayagraj: The Prayagraj Railway Division has rolled out extensive plans to run over 150 special fair trains to accommodate the large influx of devotees expected on Mauni Amavasya, setting a new record, a railway spokesman said here on Wednesday.
The spokesman said that these special trains will be operated direction-wise from all nine stations in Prayagraj, ensuring smooth travel for the devotees. "In addition to running special trains, the division has also implemented color-coded ticketing and shelter arrangements to ensure a smooth experience for passengers," he said.
Senior Public Relations Officer of the Prayagraj Railway Division, Amit Malviya said that more than 150 fair special trains will be operated on Mauni Amavasya, the majority of which will run from Prayagraj Junction. "Special trains will also be operated from other stations in the division, along with regular trains running on their scheduled times," he said.
Malviya said that operating over 150 special trains in a single day will be a landmark achievement, surpassing the 85 trains run during Mauni Amavasya in Kumbh 2019. With these plans, the Prayagraj Railway Division aims to run a train approximately every 4 minutes on Mauni Amavasya.
With these robust arrangements, Prayagraj Railway Division is fully prepared to manage the record number of devotees arriving for the grand celebrations of Mauni Amavasya at the Maha Kumbh.
It may be noted that a record 101 fair special trains were operated to manage the huge turnout of devotees during the Amrit Snan on Makar Sankranti, setting an unprecedented milestone. The upcoming Mauni Amavasya is expected to surpass this achievement, with even more records likely to be broken.
The Mela Authority anticipates that over 10 crore devotees will bathe in the Sangam on Mauni Amavasya, with 10-20 percent of them expected to travel by train.
It is worth mentioning here that on the first Amrit Snan festival of the Maha Kumbh, which took place on Makar Sankranti, over 3.5 crore devotees bathed at the holy Sangam, surpassing expectations.
So far, more than 9 crore devotees have taken the holy dip in Mahakumbh. Now, preparations are in full swing for the largest bathing festival of the Maha Kumbh, Mauni Amavasya.