New Delhi: After a prod by the Delhi High Court, Indian Railways has started monitoring the sale of unreserved tickets to Prayagraj for the Maha Kumbh Mela. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw was personally present at the Railway Board War Room to monitor the situation, a senior official said.
“A final surge of pilgrims has been noticed ahead of Maha Shiv Ratri. On Saturday evening alone Northern Railway operated five unreserved trains to Prayag from New Delhi. While the Minister of Railways was at the War Room, Ashok Kumar Verma, general manager, Northern Railway, was keeping an eye on things from the mini control room set up at New Delhi railway station,” the Railway Board official said.
The number of general class tickets for Prayag sold in five hours from counters at New Delhi railway station on Saturday evening was 13,705, he said.
After 18 persons died in a stampede at the New Delhi railway station, the Delhi High Court had wanted to know from the Railways why general class tickets are not sold as per coach capacity. The court had directed the Railways to address the problem to prevent overcrowding on platforms.
“On Saturday, during the evening hours, ticket sales for Prayagraj were higher than normal. Between 6 and 7 pm, 2,375 tickets were sold for Prayagraj. Considering the demand, unreserved trains for Prayag were operated on an hourly basis,” the official added.
The first unreserved train left New Delhi at 7 pm with 2,375 passengers. Ticket sales for the next hour went up to 2,950. The second train left with these passengers at exactly 8 pm. Between 8 pm and 8.58 pm, 3,429 tickets were sold. Those who purchased these tickets left on a train that started at 8.58 pm.
As many as 2,662 tickets were sold in the next hour for the train starting at 9.58 pm, while 1,689 tickets were sold till 11 pm. The last of the trains left for Prayag at 11.15 pm.
