The Ministry of Railways on Wednesday issued an official clarification on alleged reports of free travel during Maha Kumbh. "Indian Railways categorically denies these reports, as they are entirely baseless and misleading," read the notice.
The government arm also stressed that travelling without a valid ticket was "strictly prohibited under the rules and regulations of Indian Railways" and that it constitutes a punishable offence.
Dispelling further rumours regarding free tickets that prop up during special days, the railway ministry said, "There are no provisions for free travel during Maha Kumbh mela or any other occasion."
However, the Indian Railways plan to offer specific facilities for travellers during the festival, including special holding areas, additional counters for tickets, and "other necessary facilities to manage the anticipated influx of passengers."
Last week, union railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw detailed preparations for the Maha Kumbh in the winter session of the Parliament. Drawing a parallel with the Chhath and Diwali festival time, the minister highlighted that around 7,900 special trains moved around 1.80 crore passengers "without major inconveniences".
In total, 13,000 trains are planned during the Maha Kumbh time to accommodate the surge in passenger traffic.
Earlier this month, Vaishnaw also announced that the latest Vande Bharat sleeper prototypes were ready for field trials.
The rollout of the new trainset would depend on the successful completion of trials, the minister then said in a statement laid on the table of the Rajya Sabha.
While Vande Bharat services have found an ardent following in the country, the Indian Railways is looking to add more services for the economically weaker sections of society as well.
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Vaishnaw recently spoke at the Parliament about the induction of the Amrit Bharat train series. Amrit Bharat trains, though similar to the Vande Bharat, are designed entirely for non-AC passengers. The railway minister said that they intend to produce 50 more Amrit Bharat trains since the initial fleet operations over the past ten months were deemed successful.
