Patna: The Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, scheduled from 14 January to 28 February, has led to an unprecedented rush for train tickets. Seats on trains passing through Prayagraj are fully booked, with no confirmed tickets available in regular trains during this period. Passengers are now relying on Tatkal bookings and emergency quotas, but waiting lists remain long, especially on popular routes.
Trains such as Rajdhani Express, Sampoorna Kranti, and Tejas Rajdhani originating from Patna face waitlists until 25 February. Other trains, including Vikramshila Express, Brahmaputra Mail, and Azimabad Express, are similarly overbooked. Even AC classes, which usually have better availability, are sold out.
In response, Indian Railways has introduced several special trains to cater to the influx of devotees traveling to the Kumbh Mela. These include:
•Patna-Prayagraj Special: 03219 (Patna-Prayagraj) and 03220 (Prayagraj-Patna)
•Gaya-Prayagraj Special: 03689 (Gaya-Prayagraj) and 03690 (Prayagraj-Gaya)
•Nagpur-Danapur-Nagpur Special: 01217/01218
•Valsad-Danapur-Valsad Special: 09019/09020
•Vapi-Gaya-Vapi Special: 09021/09022
•Mysore-Danapur-Mysore Special: 06207/06208
•Howrah-Tundla-Howrah Specials: 03021/03022, 03023/03024, 03025/03026, 03029/03030
•Howrah-Bhind-Howrah Specials: 03031/03032, 03033/03034
•Bhubaneswar-Tundla-Bhubaneswar Special: 08425/08426
•Puri-Tundla-Puri Special: 08417/08418
•Titlagarh-Tundla-Titlagarh Special: 08314/08313
•Visakhapatnam-DDU-Visakhapatnam Special: 08530/08529
These special services aim to ease the travel burden on pilgrims attending one of the largest religious gatherings in the world. Travelers are advised to plan ahead and check for availability on these additional trains.
