Railway Ministry will spend thousand crores in the construction of infrastructure in Kumbh Mela, 992 special trains will run

The Ministry of Railways is working towards running a large number of special trains for the Kumbh Mela. To this effect, as many as 992 special trains will be operated during the Kumbh Mela, a senior railway official told Financial Express Online. Kumbh Mela is to be held in Prayagraj in January next year. The ministry has set aside Rs 933 crore for the construction of various infrastructure and facilities for passengers, officials told Financial Express Online.

In Prayagraj Division and its surroundings, work is going on at a fast pace for Kumbh Mela to double the railway track so that there can be smooth movement of trains. The cost for all of this is Rs 3,700 crore. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and his deputies Ravneet Singh Bittu and V Somanna held meetings on Saturday to review the arrangements to deal with the massive rush of devotees during the Kumbh Mela starting January 12. According to the official, the Railway Minister also holds regular video conferences with senior railway officials including general managers of concerned zones like Northern Railway, North Central Railway and North Eastern Railway to take stock of the preparations.

According to the official, divisional managers of concerned railway divisions like Prayagraj, Varanasi, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Nagar and Lucknow also attend these meetings to give regular updates on various development works. With 30 to 50 crore devotees expected to attend the Kumbh Mela, the Railway Ministry has planned to run 992 special trains in addition to 6,580 regular trains from various cities to Prayagraj. A senior railway official said, 'In 2019, more than 24 crore people attended the Kumbh Mela and we ran 694 special trains in addition to our 5,000 regular services. Based on that experience, we have decided to increase the number of special trains by 42 per cent to 992.' He said, 'If there is a need to increase the number, we are ready with a backup plan for that too.'

Another official said that about Rs 440 crore is expected to be spent on the work of various road overbridges. The remaining Rs 495 crore is being spent on various activities, such as repair of roads leading to stations, installation of CCTV cameras on and around platforms, waiting rooms at stations, additional accommodation units for passengers and adequate medical facilities, the official said. Doubling of railway lines between Varanasi and Jhunsi has been completed, while Prayagraj-Rambagh-Jhunsi and Janghai-Phaphamau lines are expected to be ready before the Kumbh Mela begins.