
Maligaon, January 22 (MExN): Indian Railways is not just facilitating travel but making the entire experience a remarkable blend of tradition and technology at the Mahakumbh 2025 currently underway in Prayag, Uttar Pradesh, the NFR informed.
A press statement from the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) said that the Railways has made an investment of Rs 5,000 crore over the past three years to develop Kumbh-related infrastructure projects, including a new river bridge.
The digital initiatives taken to facilitate travel for citizens at large are taking the lead in the Maha Kumbh of 2025, transforming rail travel into a pleasurable experience, it said.
The digital initiatives include the launch of the Kumbh Rail Seva website as a one-stop digital platform for real-time updates on train schedules, ticket availability, and station amenities.
Paired with a multilingual mobile app, it ensures no devotee is left behind, regardless of linguistic or technical barriers, while pilgrims can plan routes, book tickets, and access essential services at their fingertips, the NFR said.
To enhance accessibility and inclusivity, announcements are being made in 12 major Indian languages, catering to the linguistic diversity of the country, and even the facilitation booklet is available in 22 languages, it highlighted. A toll-free number also provides information in Hindi, English, and regional languages, ensuring seamless communication, it added.
Further, an integrated digital Railway Display Network at nearly 2,000 stations offers real-time updates for passengers, while social media platforms like X, Facebook, and Instagram are keeping travellers informed with timely updates and announcements, the NFR said.
Moreover, touch-screen kiosks strategically installed at major terminals function both as ticket counters and information hubs.
Additionally, the integration of barcode-based UTS (Unreserved Ticketing System) at stations, along with QR codes printed on the specially designed green jackets of Railway personnel, is saving long waiting times at ticket counters and at the same time reducing paper usage.
As per the NFR, the nerve centre of this massive logistical operation is the 24×7 Mahakumbh War Room in Prayagraj. Armed with cutting-edge monitoring systems, the War Room oversees real-time train operations, public traffic, and crowd movement in constant coordination with Mahakumbh administration and disaster management agencies, it maintained. Over a thousand surveillance cameras (some equipped with facial recognition) and drones have been deployed to enhance security monitoring, and more than 23,000 Railway Protection Force (RPF) and state police personnel are on the ground, supporting the digital surveillance and disaster management systems, it added.
Celebrated every 12 years, the Mahakumbh 2025 is expected to see a footfall of nearly 300 million pilgrims during the 45 days of the mela, making it the largest religious gathering on the planet, the statement said. The Kumbh Mela, observed at the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and the invisible Saraswati in Prayag, has remained a symbolic link with ancestors, it added.