Indian Railways is working on a massive plan to manage the crowd for Simhastha 2028 in Ujjain. The goal is to ensure the safety and comfort of around 1 crore devotees expected to travel by train. Railway officials and district administration have already started joint inspections and issued tenders for various development works.
What are the key infrastructure updates for Ujjain?
Ujjain Junction is being redeveloped under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme with a budget of 421 crore rupees. The station will feature a large air concourse, multi-level parking, and modern ticket counters. To handle the crowd, new foot overbridges of 6 and 12 meters width will be built. Additionally, a bypass railway line between Naikhedi and Chintaman Ganesh stations, costing 189.04 crore rupees, has been approved to avoid train reversal issues.
How will crowd management be handled at satellite stations?
To distribute the crowd, railways are developing 7 key stations around Ujjain. During the Amrit Snan, trains will not stop at Ujjain main station; instead, passengers will be dropped at nearby flag stations and moved to the Shipra river via buses.
| Station Name | Planned Development |
|---|---|
| Naikhedi | 4 new platforms |
| Pingleshwar & Pawasa | Permanent platforms |
| Chintaman Ganesh | Additional platform and new ROB |
| Ujjain Junction | 4 additional lines and modern FOBs |
What are the operational plans for trains and security?
Railway Board Chairman Satish Kumar stated that about 100 special trains will run daily from Indore, Dewas, Ujjain, Ratlam, and Nagda. For security, DGP Kailash Makwana has ordered the use of AI, drone surveillance, and a dedicated Simhastha Cyber Warriors Portal. ADG Umesh Joga emphasized that the traffic plan will focus on reducing the walking distance for devotees.