Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed the media that ahead of the upcoming holy Maghi Purnima Amrit Snan, each train rake is carrying an average of 3,780 passengers at a time.
To manage the massive influx of pilgrims, Indian Railways is operating 531 trains ahead of Maghi Purnima Amrit Snan on February 12. By 3 PM today, more than 201 special and regular trains had departed from eight stations, including the flagship Prayagraj Junction, transporting over 9 lakh pilgrims.
On normal days, Indian Railways runs 330 trains; this number is nearly equal to the 360 trains operated during Mauni Amavasya last month, when the crowd was at its historic peak.
Additionally, about 12.50 lakh passengers were transported to their homes through approximately 330 trains from eight different stations in the Prayagraj region. To ensure that devotees do not have to wait after their holy bath, Indian Railways is running one train every four minutes from these stations.
Reviewing the situation in a meeting with zonal and divisional railway officials, Chairman and CEO of the Railway Board, Satish Kumar, stated that seven stations, including Prayagraj Junction, Prayagraj Chheoki, Naini, Subedarganj, Prayag, Phaphamau, Prayagraj Rambagh, and Jhunsi, are fully operational.
He also informed that only one station, Prayagraj Sangam, is closed two days before and two days after any Amrit Snan as a standard procedure. This is done based on the recommendation of the Prayagraj District Administration and has been consistently implemented during previous Amrit Snans.
