How Many People can Travel to the Kumbh Mela in One Day.
From New Delhi to Allahabad by Rail
As getting a train ticket in India is a herculean task, this post aims to estimate the situation of available train seats at the peak time during the Kumbh Mela in January and February 2013. The world famous festival will observe people coming from every part of the world to witness the grandeur of the pilgrimage. Following is list of trains from New Delhi to Allahabad and the speculated waiting scenario for the ordinary public to travel by rail during the Maha Kumbh if the tickets are not booked well in advance (120 days). The list is taken from the Indian Railways website on 30-Aug-2013.
Train No.
Train Name
Origin
Dep.Time
Destination
Arr.Time
Days Of Run
M
T
W
T
F
S
S
18110
++JAT MURI ROU EX
*SUBZI MANDI
04:11
ALLAHABAD JN
15:30
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
12312
+KALKA MAIL
*ADRSH NGR DELHI
05:48
ALLAHABAD JN
17:20
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
+NANDAN KANAN EX
NEW DELHI
06:30
ALLAHABAD JN
15:10
Y
N
Y
Y
N
Y
N
15484
+MAHANANDA EXP
DELHI
06:40
ALLAHABAD JN
17:55
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
14084
+MAHANANDA EXP
#DELHI
06:40
ALLAHABAD JN
17:55
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
12506
+NORTH EAST EXP
ANAND VIHAR TRM
06:50
ALLAHABAD JN
15:40
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
12324
+NDLS HWH EXPRES
NEW DELHI
07:00
ALLAHABAD JN
16:35
N
N
N
Y
N
N
Y
13008
+U A TOOFAN EXP
*NEW DELHI
07:35
ALLAHABAD JN
22:05
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
12488
+SEEMANCHAL EXP
ANAND VIHAR TRM
07:40
ALLAHABAD JN
16:50
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
12398
+MAHABODHI EXP
NEW DELHI
14:10
ALLAHABAD JN
22:40
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
14006
+LICHCHAVI EXP
ANAND VIHAR TRM
15:50
ALLAHABAD JN
02:30
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
12382
+POORVA EXPRESS
NEW DELHI
16:20
ALLAHABAD JN
02:20
Y
Y
N
N
Y
N
N
12304
+POORVA EXPRESS
NEW DELHI
16:20
ALLAHABAD JN
02:05
N
N
Y
Y
N
Y
Y
02394
+ANVT PNBE SPL
#ANAND VIHAR TRM
18:35
ALLAHABAD JN
03:45
N
Y
N
N
Y
N
Y
12560
+SHIV GANGA EXP
NEW DELHI
18:55
ALLAHABAD JN
03:35
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
12874
+JHARKHAND EXP
ANAND VIHAR TRM
19:50
ALLAHABAD JN
04:20
N
Y
Y
N
Y
N
N
12818
+JHARKHAND EXPRE
ANAND VIHAR TRM
19:50
ALLAHABAD JN
04:20
Y
N
N
Y
N
Y
N
12402
+MAGADH EXPRESS
NEW DELHI
20:10
ALLAHABAD JN
05:10
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
12562
+SWATANTRTA S EX
NEW DELHI
20:40
ALLAHABAD JN
05:35
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
13112
+LAL QUILA EXP
DELHI
20:50
ALLAHABAD JN
10:45
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
14218
+UNCHAHAR EXP
*SUBZI MANDI
20:57
ALLAHABAD JN
11:20
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
12418
+PRAYAG RAJ EXP
NEW DELHI
21:25
ALLAHABAD JN
06:45
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
12802
+PURSHOTTAM EXP
NEW DELHI
22:20
ALLAHABAD JN
07:25
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
12276
+ALD DURONTO EXP
NEW DELHI
22:40
ALLAHABAD JN
06:10
N
N
Y
N
Y
N
Y
14056
+BRAHMPUTRA MAIL
DELHI
23:40
ALLAHABAD JN
08:25
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
12502
+PORVOTR S KRNTI
NEW DELHI
23:45
ALLAHABAD JN
08:50
N
N
Y
Y
N
N
Y
12350
+NDLS BGP EXPRES
NEW DELHI
23:45
ALLAHABAD JN
08:50
N
Y
N
N
N
N
N
12428
+NDLS REWA EXP
NEW DELHI
23:55
ALLAHABAD JN
09:25
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
The trains have around 600 (general quota) berths in sleeper class and 150 seats in third AC. The total number of trains from north India that pass through New Delhi is 28. Therefore total available seats in sleeper class are 16800 (approx.) and 4200(approx.) in Third AC. In one day total passengers under the general quota will be (16800+4200) = 21000. Actual seats including all types of quotas are 12 X 72 X 28=24192 as most trains have 12 sleeper bogies. For Third AC, taking maximum 5 bogies per train, the berth count would be 5 X 72 X 28= 10000
During the last Kumbh Mela, the total visiting devotee count reached 70 million (70 X 10,00000) within a span of 30 days. We can therefore compute the total capacity of each train assuming that there are four general bogies to be 4*100*28 (500 is capacity of one bogie)= 11500 approx. (taking lager values)
Hence, people who can travel from Delhi to Allahabad in a day are: 24500+ 11500+10000= 46000. This is current maximum capacity. But it can be estimated that during the peak Kumbh Mela season, this capacity will increase threefold per train raising the traveler count to 1,35,000. The situation is one of a kind and can only happen in a country like India.
What would you do if you were planning to attend the Kumbh Mela? Comment at the Kumbh Mela 2013 page.
