Amid a surge in passenger demand, Indian Railways operated five unreserved special trains from New Delhi to Prayagraj on Saturday evening, ensuring seamless travel for devotees heading to the Mahakumbh 2025.
Northern Railway took special measures to manage the surge of passengers heading to Prayagraj for the Mahakumbh, ensuring smooth travel arrangements at Delhi railway station, officials said.
Meanwhile, former Delhi Chief Minister Atishi clarified on Sunday that she had sent the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) reports to Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena before the election and accused the BJP of "spreading misconception."
This came after a stampede happened at around 10 pm on February 15, at New Delhi Railway Station when thousands of devotees were heading to Prayagraj for the Maha Kumbh 2025 festival, causing severe overcrowding at the station. The stampede claimed 18 lives, leaving several injured.
A wave of smoke erupted in the Barak-Brahmaputra Express at Assam's Bihara Railway Station, leading to a delay in the train, following which the Northeast Frontier Railway clarified that the incident was caused by some break binding issue.
Indian Railways has played a major role in transporting millions of pilgrims to the ongoing Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, operating over 14,000 trains to ensure smooth and efficient travel for devotees from across the country, according to the statement.
Union Minister of State for Railways, Ravneet Singh Bittu, on Saturday inspected the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR) project for the "first time" and praised the initiative as a key step toward India's infrastructural development.
The panel included distinguished personalities such as Smt Lakshmi Puri, acclaimed author of the best-seller "Swallowing the Sun", Sanjeev Sanyal, a member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, and Raian Karanjawala, managing partner at Karanjawala & Co.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said that the Indian Railways serve as the backbone of travel for millions of Indians and require rapid efforts to make it more "modern, secure and efficient."
Gopal Rai emphasised the party's commitment to playing the role of a strong opposition and confirmed that the oath-taking ceremony for all AAP MLAs is scheduled for February 24, after which the party will announce its Leader of Opposition.