The Maha Kumbh Mela 2025 will begin in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj on January 13 and conclude on February 26. Crores of devotees are expected to flock to witness the festival, which will start with a performance by singer Shankar Mahadevan.
The main bathing rituals (Shahi Snan) of the Kumbh will take place on January 14 (Makar Sankranti), January 29 (Mauni Amavasya), and February 3 (Basant Panchami).
To enable smooth passenger travel, the Indian Railways will operate 13,000 trains, including 10,000 regular and 3,000 special trains, over 50 days, including 2-3 additional days before and after the event.
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Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) of North Central Railway, Shashikant Tripathi, told ANI that around 700 long-distance Mela Special Trains and around 1800 short-distance (200-300 km) trains will be operated.
The IRCTC (Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation) has set up a temporary “tent city” in Prayagraj, providing accommodation for travellers. Medical booths and small hospitals have been established at all major stations, with trained medical personnel available round-the-clock to provide first aid and address serious health issues.
Special trains
{{/usCountry}}The IRCTC (Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation) has set up a temporary “tent city” in Prayagraj, providing accommodation for travellers. Medical booths and small hospitals have been established at all major stations, with trained medical personnel available round-the-clock to provide first aid and address serious health issues.
Special trains
{{/usCountry}}Western Railway: 98 special trains have been introduced, focusing on passenger convenience, hygiene, and the proper functioning of electric appliances. Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Government Railway Police (GRP) officers have been deployed to escort travellers from designated areas to their trains in a systematic manner.
From Una to Prayagraj: From January 17 to February 23, railways will run special trains, with stops at Nangal Dam, Anandpur Sahib, Roop Nagar, Morinda, Chandigarh, Ambala Cantt, Yamunanagar Jagadhri, Saharanpur, Roorkee, Najibabad, Moradabad, Bareilly, Shahjahanpur, Lucknow, and Rae Bareli.
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These trains will have 18 coaches, including sleepers, generals, and AC three-tier coaches. The fare for sleeper coaches is ₹620, and for AC three-tier coaches is ₹1,670.
Bookings for the train are underway. General ticket coaches' booking will begin two hours before the train starts, news agency PTI reported.
From Jaynagar to Jhusi: The North Eastern Railway (NER) special train (05285/05286) will make four trips from Jaynagar on January 10, 24, 31, February 1, and March 1. It will halt at important stations, including Madhubani, Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur, and Varanasi.
A series of special trains will operate from Guntur to Azamgarh and Moula Ali to Gaya, departing on January 24, 18, 20, and other specific dates.
Ring rail route services: Prayagraj-Ayodhya-Varanasi-Prayagraj, Prayagraj-Sangam Prayag-Jaunpur-Prayag-Prayagraj, Govindpuri-Prayagraj-Chitrakoot-Govindpuri and Jhansi-Govindpuri-Prayagraj-Manikpur-Chitrakoot-Jhansi routes.
South Central Railway also announced a list of special trains, MoneyControl reported.
Train 7701: It will depart from Guntur at 23:00 on January 24 and arrive at Azamgarh at 17:15 the next day.
Train 7702: It will depart at 19:45 from Azamgarh on January 26 and arrive at Guntur by 09:00 the following day.
Train 7707: Will be departing from Moula Ali at 23:55 and reach Azamgarh by 17:15 the next day. This train will run on two dates January 18 and February 21.
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Train 7708: Will return from Azamgarh to Moula Ali on January 20 and February 23, departing at 19:45 and arriving at 07:30 on the second day.
Train 7711: It will depart from Moula Ali to Gaya on January 19 at 17:50 and arrive at 09:00 the next morning.
Train 7712: The return train runs from Gaya to Moula Ali on January 21, following a similar schedule.
Train 7719: Will depart from Guntur at 14:20 on January 25, departing and arrive Gaya at 09:00 the next morning.
Train 7720: Will depart Gaya on January 27 at 14:15 and reach Guntur at 04:00 the following day.
Train 7721: Departs from Nanded to Patna on January 22 at 23:00, arriving at 10:30 the next morning.
Train 7722: Returns from Patna to Nanded on January 24, departing at 15:30 and arriving at 04:30.
Train 7725: Departs from Kacheguda to Patna on January 25 at 16:45, arriving at 10:30 the next morning.
Train 7726: Returns from Patna to Kacheguda on January 27, departing at 11:30 and arriving at 07:00 the following day.
(With ANI, PTI inputs)