The grand Mahakumbh festival at Prayagraj’s Sangam has drawn over 13 crore devotees so far, with preparations in full swing for the Amrit Snan on Mauni Amavasya, January 29.

In view of the large number of devotees expected on the occasion, the Prayagraj Railway Division has made elaborate special arrangements for the smooth arrival and departure of passengers across all the stations in the city, railway officials here on Monday said.

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Around 10 crore people are expected to arrive in Prayagraj for the Amrit Snan of Mauni Amavasya. Since January 25, about one crore passengers have been arriving daily for the Mahakumbh.

To ensure the safety and smooth flow of such a large number of devotees, the Prayagraj Railway Division has rolled out a special plan along with certain restrictions. These arrangements will be in effect a day before and two days after the Mauni Amavasya bathing festival.

On the day of the festival, entry to Prayagraj Junction will be permitted from the city side and the exit will be only from the Civil Lines side. Reserved passengers with pre-booked tickets will have a separate entry from the city-side gate number 5, while unreserved passengers will enter through direction-wise, color-coded shelters.

These shelters will also house unreserved ticket counters, ATMs, and mobile ticketing services. A special holding area has been set up at Khusro Bagh, with the capacity to accommodate up to about one lakh people.

During the Mauni Amavasya festival, special arrangements have been made at key railway stations to manage the influx of passengers and ensure smooth travel. At Naini Junction, entry will be allowed only from Station Road, with the exit through the goods shed.

Reserved passengers will have a dedicated entry via Gate Number 2. At Prayagraj Cheoki Station, passengers will enter only from COD Road, which connects to the Prayagraj-Mirzapur highway, and will exit through G.E.C. Naini Road. Reserved passengers will use Gate Number 2 for entry. At Subedarganj Station, the entry will be from Jhalwa-Kaushambi Road, and the exit will be towards GT Road. Reserved passengers will enter through Gate Number 3.

To streamline passenger movement, color-coded shelters have been set up at all stations for unreserved passengers. These shelters are organized based on passengers’ destination stations, with each color corresponding to specific routes.

Passengers will be directed from these shelters to the platforms in an orderly manner according to their tickets. Special regular and fair special trains will be arranged to transport passengers to their designated destinations, ensuring efficient crowd management and a smooth travel experience for all.