Prayagraj: Due to the huge crowd gathering for the Maha Kumbh Mela, Prayagraj Sangam Railway Station of North Central Railway (NCR) has been temporarily closed. The railway had initially decided to keep the station closed until February 14, then extended it until February 16. However, as the crowd pressure did not decrease, the decision was made to keep the station closed for the time being.
Passengers who were scheduled to catch trains from this station will now have to go to Phaphamau Railway Station. Prayagraj Sangam, one of the nine stations in the Prayagraj region, has been temporarily closed at the request of the fair administration. The remaining eight stations in the Prayagraj region will continue to operate as usual.
Strict protocols enforced
In light of the huge crowd of people coming from across the country for the Maha Kumbh and the stampede at New Delhi Railway Station on Saturday, strict adherence to the previously issued protocols is being ensured at stations in cities associated with religious significance, including Prayagraj, Varanasi, Ayodhya, Kanpur, and Mirzapur.
Shashikant Tripathi, Chief Public Relations Officer of North Central Railway, stated that they are ensuring strict implementation of the previously issued protocol. The same protocol has successfully been followed during bathing festivals like Mauni Amavasya and Basant Panchami and will continue in the future.
Under this protocol, entry to Prayagraj Junction is being directed from the city side, while exit is from the Civil Lines side. Passengers are kept in the holding area until their train arrives on the platform. RPF Inspector Shiv Kumar, posted at Prayagraj Junction, mentioned that the crowd at the station is under control.
90 holding areas in Prayagraj
Additional Director General (ADG) of Railway Police, Prakash D said that holding areas have been marked to manage the passengers, as train capacity is limited. The capacity of the platform is also limited, so additional passengers arriving at the station are being kept in the holding areas. He further stated that in Prayagraj, 90 holding areas have been identified across the eight railway stations. With 500 trains running daily in Prayagraj, passengers are urged to follow the instructions given by the police and administration.
He also said that drones are being used to assess the flow of pilgrims in Prayagraj. Prakash D. added that specific railway stations have been identified for managing the movement of pilgrims from Lucknow, Ayodhya, and Jhunsi for Bihar, such as Phaphamau, Gorakhpur, and Deen Dayal Upadhyay Nagar. He assured that the situation in Prayagraj is normal and completely under control, with a strong control room operating 24 hours a day.
