Prayagraj: Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that despite the heavy flow of passengers, Indian Railways remains committed to serving the devotees by ensuring timely transportation for their arrival and departure during Mahakumbh Mela-2025.

Responding to the report on the shortage of trains to fetch devotees, he said on Monday that around 330 trains from the eight stations in Prayagraj have transported over 1.25 million passengers back to their homes. "To mitigate the wait time for devotees after their holy bathing, Indian Railways operates one train approximately every four minutes from these stations."

Also, for the upcoming Amrit Snan of Magha Poornima, "each train rake can accommodate an average of 3,780 passengers in a single trip will be deployed, indicating that demand remains high."

Besides, in a meeting with zonal and divisional railway officials, Chairman of the Railway Board and CEO, Satish Kumar, on Monday, instructed officials to disseminate information to the media about their efforts to serve the public efficiently and at full capacity.

He said that Prayagraj Junction, along with seven other stations—Prayagraj Chheoki, Naini, Subedarganj, Prayag, Phaphamau, Prayagraj Rambagh, and Jhusi—are fully operational. Satish Kumar said, "The temporary closure of the Prayagraj Sangam station for two days before and after any Amrit Snan is a standard practice, agreed upon with the Prayagraj district administration. It has been followed during previous holy baths."

He urged the media and the Zonal and Divisional Public Relations Offices in Indian Railways to highlight their extensive efforts to facilitate devotees' travel to Mahakumbh city, especially in light of reported traffic issues in surrounding areas.

"As of 3 PM today, more than 201 special and regular trains had already departed from the eight stations, including the important Prayagraj Junction, carrying over 900,000 pilgrims."

Earlier in the day, Satish Kumar briefed the Union Rail Minister about the smooth functioning of railway services in the Prayagraj area from the Rail Bhawan war room, "where they monitored CCTV footage from all railway stations. Both officials reviewed the ongoing rush and discussed preparations, ahead of the next Amrit Snan on Magha Poornima." Furthermore, the Chairman of the Railway Board urged the media and the public not to be misled by isolated reports regarding service disruptions at the critical Prayagraj Junction.

He highlighted that the situation can be verified by visiting the eight railway stations, where Mela special trains, adorned with the Mahakumbh logo, are operating day and night.

"On a typical day, Indian Railways runs around 330 trains, showcasing its unwavering commitment to the people of India—this figure is comparable to the 360 trains that were operated during Mauni Amavasya last month when passenger traffic peaked." He asked the devotees to refer to official railway sources for the latest updates and to avoid unreliable information.