Railway Curbs Lifted in Prayagraj After Lower-Than-Expected Rush on Paush Purnima

After the first major bathing day of the Magh Mela—Paush Purnima—witnessed a turnout far below official estimates, the railway administration on Sunday rolled back stringent crowd-control measures across Prayagraj, bringing relief to thousands of passengers.

Restrictions imposed on the lines of the Maha Kumbh pattern were withdrawn at Prayagraj Junction as well as at Subedarganj, Chheoki, Naini and Prayag stations. Passenger entry at Prayagraj Junction has been fully restored from both the Civil Lines and City sides, easing congestion and long queues that had built up earlier.

One-Way System Withdrawn

Anticipating massive crowds for Paush Purnima, railway authorities had enforced a strict single-direction entry and exit system at major stations.

However, with fewer pilgrims and travellers arriving on the bathing day than expected, ordinary passengers faced avoidable inconvenience.

Taking stock of the situation, officials decided on Sunday afternoon to lift all major restrictions.

Following the decision, passenger movement at stations returned to normal. Escalators and lifts at Prayagraj Junction and other stations were also restarted.

Nevertheless, the continued restriction on vehicular entry from the Civil Lines side caused difficulties for some travellers.

Passengers Voice Anger

Several passengers expressed resentment over the curbs.  A  passenger said, said he had to walk a long distance after police stopped his vehicle at Civil Lines while he was trying to catch the Vande Bharat Express to New Delhi.

“Despite having a reserved ticket, I had to walk to the station with luggage,” he said.

Divisional Railway Manager Amit Singh stated that keeping passenger convenience in mind, the single-direction entry system within station premises had been scrapped, and normal train access would also resume.

Magh Mela Special Trains Cancelled

The unexpectedly low turnout has also forced the railways to scale back operations. With the anticipated rush failing to materialize, several Magh Mela special trains scheduled to run after the bathing festival are now being cancelled.

The North Eastern Railway has already withdrawn special trains for Gorakhpur and Varanasi, while Northern Railway has cancelled Ayodhya specials.

The Lucknow Division has announced the cancellation of the following services between January 4 and January 12:

• Train No. 04251 Prayag–Ayodhya Cantt
• Train No. 04252 Ayodhya Cantt–Prayag
• Train No. 04253 Prayag–Ayodhya Cantt
• Train No. 04254 Ayodhya Cantt–Prayag

Advisory to Passengers

Railway authorities have advised passengers to check train routes, stoppages and updated schedules before travelling. Travellers can dial the Rail Madad helpline at 139 or visit the official enquiry portal for the latest information.

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