Holy Fest, Unholy Mess: Kumbh Mela Saw 23 Rail Attacks, Incurred Loss Of Rs 3.13 Lakh
Railways minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said incidents of broken door and window glasses in coaches were reported during the Kumbh Mela across various railway stations and 11 people were arrested
The Maha Kumbh 2025, held in Prayagraj, was the largest spiritual gathering in the world, with more than 66 crore people taking a holy dip at the Sangam. While the Mela arrangements received a mix of appreciation and criticism, Indian Railways, which transported a record number of passengers during the event, reported at least 23 incidents of damage to trains and related property by passengers.
Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, responding to a question about damage to railway property during the Kumbh, said: “Twenty-three incidents of broken door and window glasses in coaches were reported during the Kumbh Mela across various railway stations. In these incidents, the Railways incurred a loss of approximately Rs 3.13 lakh." He further informed that “legal action was taken by the Railway Protection Force in all incidents, resulting in the arrest of 11 people".
related stories
The minister highlighted the extensive arrangements made by Indian Railways, emphasising crowd regulation, surveillance, and real-time monitoring at railway stations in Prayagraj.
Indian Railways deployed approximately 1,200 CCTV cameras, including 116 Facial Recognition System (FRS) cameras, to monitor crowds and track potential miscreants. Drone cameras were also used for surveillance of tracks and crowd management on approach roads to stations. A total of 15,000 Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Government Railway Police (GRP) personnel were deployed to ensure security at railway stations in Prayagraj. Additional personnel were stationed at other key stations, such as Ayodhya, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya, and Patna, to facilitate the smooth operation of trains and passenger flow.
The Railways Minister also addressed the tragic stampede that occurred on February 15, 2025, at New Delhi Railway Station, where 18 people lost their lives. “In the stampede at New Delhi Railway Station on February 15, an ex-gratia payment of Rs 2.01 crore has been disbursed to 33 victims or their family members," he said.
As per the official data by the Ministry of Railways, in order to cater to the needs of passengers and facilitate their journey during Maha Kumbh, Indian Railways operated more than 17,300 trains, which included 7,484 special trains. These special trains included 996 long-distance trains. All these measures served approximately 4.24 crore passengers.
Maha Kumbh 2025 took place from January 13 to February 26, 2025, at the Triveni Sangam in Prayagraj. This event, marking the completion of a 12-year Kumbh Mela cycle, was officially designated a Maha Kumbh Mela and spanned 45 days.
- Location :
- First Published: