Massive surge of pilgrims pushes Patna Junction to its limit

Patna: Patna Junction witnessed an extraordinary rush of Maha Kumbh Mela pilgrims on Friday night with crowds so dense that there was literally no space left for passengers to stand. The massive influx of pilgrims, heading to the ongoing Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, led to one of the busiest and most chaotic periods in the station's history, leaving the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and other authorities struggling to manage the situation.
According to Patna RPF inspector Sushil Kumar, the record number of passengers caused a stampede-like situation, with thousands cramming the platforms, stairways and even the concourse as trains filled to capacity arrived and departed the station. The sheer volume of people left little room for movement, making it near to impossible for passengers to board or disembark from their trains in a safe and orderly manner, he said.
"We have never witnessed such a huge rush in the history of Patna Junction as was seen on Friday night. It was a situation we were unprepared for, and despite our best efforts, the sheer number of people overwhelmed the station's capacity," he said.
It was more or less a similar situation at the Patna Junction on Saturday when the RPF personnel worked tirelessly to maintain some semblance of order, but the crowded conditions made it challenging to prevent potential accidents. With trains arriving every few minutes, some of the pilgrims were seen climbing over barriers and pushing through them to catch their trains leading to heightened concerns about safety, a railway official at the Patna Junction said.
According to Patna RPF inspector, while all RPF personnel are performing 24 hours duty at the station with no respite, railway security personnel were being approached by hundreds of passengers to assist them to board New Delhi and Mumbai bound trains, as it was not possible for normal human beings to board the trains in such an unprecedented rush. He added that the crowd holding areas at the Patna Junction completely gave in during such a critical situation.
As of Saturday, the situation showed no signs of normalisation, but the railway authorities remained on alert to avert a stampede-like situation. With the ongoing Maha Kumbh Mela drawing millions of pilgrims, Patna Junction's ability to manage the heavy footfall will continue to be a critical point of concern in the coming days, sources said.