20 daily trains from Maha take 5L to Kumbh; 42 CR spls for rush

Mumbai: Central Railway‘s (CR) chief spokesperson Swapnil Nila on Monday scotched reports that Prayagraj station had been closed temporarily as part of Maha Kumbh Mela crowd management measures. He said 20 daily trains from Maharashtra have taken more than 5 lakh pilgrims to UP so far, while 20 others from other states crossed Maharashtra.
He said CR has introduced 34 special trains for the mela and plans to operate eight more to cater to the rush. He said more such trains could be introduced if the count of waitlisted passengers is high. Maha Kumbh Mela is expected to see larger crowds on Maghi Purnima on Wednesday.
Nila appealed to pilgrims to rely on official announcements and updates on train schedules and services rather than unverified reports and messages.
CR has set up additional ticket booths, ‘May I Help You’ centres, and lost-and-found baggage centres for passengers. —Fiza Nazeer