The newly built Yog Nagri Rishikesh railway station, which is the first station on the ambitious Rishikesh-Karanprayag Char Dham railway line, will come into operation during the Ardh Kumbh fair, officials said.
The trains will be operated from Yog Nagri station for the mega fair, which starts early next year. The Yog Nagri station work was completed in July earlier this year and rapid work is underway on the Veerbhadra – Devprayag section.
Considering that the expected number of pilgrims will be in the range of five to eight million rupees, fifty routine and special Kumbh trains will be operated from across the country to Haridwar to ease the expected congestion on the route due to the pilgrimage.
“The trains that will be used during the Kumbh fair, although they will also depend on the spread of Covid-19 and on government guidelines over the next few months. Railway widening work on the Laksar-Haridwar line is already in full swing, construction of the railway over the bridge and basic services are underway in Haridwar, Rishikesh, Roorkee, Laskar and Jwalapur. The railways are well prepared to transport passengers during the Kumbh fair with the best facilities, ”said Ashutosh, general manager of Northern Railways.
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Four additional trains will be held in reserve during the Kumbh fair, to be used in case there is an increase in passenger numbers during the big festive bath known as Shahi Snaan.
Haridwar railway station has been given a unique temple-like appearance in keeping with the spiritual-religious aura of the pilgrim city.
A thermal scanner was also installed at the Roorkee train station as part of covid-19 preventive measures.
Expansion work has been completed at the city’s railway station, while in Jwalapur, work is in the last phase.
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