Maha Kumbh: East Central Railway enforcing prohibition on entry with no valid tickets
The East Central Railway (ECR) announced on Monday that it is strictly enforcing the prohibition on entry into stations without valid tickets due to the heavy rush of passengers across Bihar for Maha Kumbh.
This announcement comes two days after 18 people died in a stampede at the packed New Delhi railway station.
“Adequate arrangements have been made to ensure proper crowd management at railway stations under ECR jurisdiction. The railways is committed to ensuring smooth travel for passengers during the Maha Kumbh Mela. Arrangements have been made to prohibit the entry of those without valid tickets at all entry points of railway stations in the state,” Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) Sharswati Chandra said.
The ECR authorities are also taking assistance from the local district administration and police to enforce the prohibition.
Patna District Magistrate Chandrashekhar Singh said, “Security forces are being deputed at several stations in the state capital to assist railway officials and ensure proper crowd management, including preventing those without valid travel tickets from entering the stations”.
Adequate arrangements, including the establishment of additional ticket counters and other necessary facilities, have been made to manage the sudden rush of passengers, the CPRO said.
The railways has also deployed additional staff at certain railway stations for this purpose.
Several Kumbh Mela special trains are running daily from Patna Junction to handle the rush, the official said.
Senior railway officials are already managing the affairs very effectively, he added.
The unprecedented rush of passengers for Maha Kumbh Mela in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj was seen at several railway stations across Bihar, including Patna, Danapur, Ara, Gaya, Sasaram, Muzaffarpur, Sitamarhi, and Darbhanga.
Meanwhile, a person died of electrocution after allegedly falling from a foot overbridge and coming into contact with a high-voltage power cable at Patna railway station on Sunday, the CPRO said.
The identity of the deceased could not be ascertained so far.
Officials concerned are investigating the matter, the official added.
