For the first time ever, visitors to the Kumbh Mela can arrive at Prayagraj by land, air or water, says Awanish Kumar Awasthi, additional chief secretary, information, tourism and religious affairs, UP government.

Nearly 800 special trains branded with images of Kumbh Mela and architectural marvels of Prayagraj will be chugging into the city even as a new civil air terminal has been readied at Prayagraj to facilitate more flights to the holy town.

A heliport is also being readied and visitors can take helicopter joy rides.

The Inland Waterways Authority has set up five jetties in the Mela area, and cruise boats will ply on the Ganga. Towards the later stages of the Kumbh, Awasthi hopes that a luxury cruise service from Varanasi to Prayag — and possibly even from Kolkata — can be started. The road network has been strengthened with nine flyovers constructed in the last year and half, the high point being a four-lane-wide, 1,325-metre-long flyover on a single pillar. To smoothen traffic, six railway under-passes have been widened to four lanes.

But it is the Railways that is undeniably leading the transporting action to the Kumbh. Not only has it given a makeover to the stations near Prayagraj but it is also set to launch the much talked about made-in-India Train 18, which will take just six hours to reach Prayagraj from Delhi. Designed by Railway Design Standards Organisation and made at Integral Coach Factory, Chennai, Train 18, which may soon be renamed, is expected to eventually replace the Shatabdis. The first Train-18 will ply between New Delhi and Varanasi, with Kanpur and Allahabad as the intermediate stops. There are 28 trains between New Delhi and Allahabad right now, including several Rajdhanis and Garib Raths.

But it is Train 18 that has the potential to be the mega earner for Railways, with TV screens that can telecast information and advertisements. It has a 16-coach, chair-car type configuration — two executive-class chair car and 14 chair carriages. The fares of the premium train have not been announced.

IRCTC has also started special tourism packages to cater to Kumbh enthusiasts. For instance, at prices of up to ₹14,000, there are multiple travel packages like Ardha Kumbh Mela Special, Kumbh Special Tourist, Kumbh Snan, etc and start from destinations like Raxaul, Madurai, etc. The railways is also deploying video analytics to control crowds, and an app called Kumbh Rail Seva.

As the Railways pitch goes, Chalo Kumbh!

With inputs from CHITRA NARAYANAN

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