Synopsis
Over 400,000 pilgrims from the Northeast Frontier Railway jurisdiction have participated in the Maha Kumbh Mela 2025 in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, with numerous measures implemented to enhance their travel experience and ensure safety.Key Takeaways
- Over 400,000 devotees from NFR participated in Maha Kumbh Mela 2025.
- Initiatives for enhanced travel comfort and efficiency.
- Special trains and regular schedules to manage increased traffic.
- Robust security measures including RPF and GRP deployment.
- Focus on safety for elderly, women, and children.
Guwahati, Feb 21 (NationPress) More than 400,000 pilgrims have participated in the ongoing Maha Kumbh Mela 2025 in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, coming from the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) jurisdiction, officials reported on Friday.
NFR's Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) Kapinjal Kishore Sharma stated that the NFR has implemented numerous initiatives to streamline the travel experience for pilgrims attending the Maha Kumbh Mela 2025. "With over 400,000 devotees already on the move from the NFR's jurisdiction, additional measures have been established to enhance comfort and efficiency," he informed the media.
The CPRO noted that the railway has concentrated on boosting security and commercial personnel, fortifying safety, and optimizing operations to guarantee a smooth and trouble-free journey for the devotees. During the Maha Kumbh, approximately 500 million pilgrims from all over the nation have traveled on around 13,000 trains operated by Indian Railways, Sharma added.
To manage the heightened passenger influx, NFR has been running seven to eight regular trains alongside special trains for the Maha Kumbh. A total of 26 special train trips have been operated thus far from Naharlagun (Arunachal Pradesh), Kamakhya, Guwahati, and Rangapara (all in Assam), as well as Katihar and Jogbani in Bihar. The official mentioned that in anticipation of the surge in passengers, NFR has rolled out these additional train services to ensure a smooth and hassle-free journey for the devotees. So far, around 337,000 reserved passengers and 108,000 unreserved passengers have traveled to Prayagraj on these trains. Among them, around 110,000 passengers boarded from Guwahati, about 19,300 from Dibrugarh, nearly 54,100 from New Jalpaiguri (West Bengal), and around 34,500 from Jogbani.
The CPRO mentioned that for security and crowd management, NFR has deployed a robust team of Railway Protection Force (RPF), Government Railway Police (GRP), and adequate running staff to ensure seamless train operations. Control rooms have been established at major railway stations and divisions for real-time monitoring and effective crowd management.
Moreover, CCTV surveillance has been enhanced at critical locations to ensure continuous monitoring, and extra personnel have been stationed at entry and exit points to manage passenger movement. Special provisions have been made for elderly passengers, women, and children to ensure their safety and convenience.
With thousands of devotees arriving daily, these comprehensive measures underscore NFR’s commitment to providing a safe, secure, comfortable, and efficiently managed pilgrimage experience during this grand spiritual event, the NFR official stated. The NFR operates in the northeastern states and in seven districts of West Bengal and five districts of north Bihar.
