To manage the massive crowds expected during the upcoming Nashik Kumbh Mela 2027, the Railway Ministry has approved the construction of a permanent holding area at Nashik Road railway station. Nashik is among the 73 railway stations selected across the country to receive such facilities, which will significantly aid in crowd management during the event. The Kumbh Mela is scheduled to take place in Nashik in 2027, and over 50 million devotees are expected to attend. Nashik Road station, categorized as an NSG-2 station on the Central Railway route, handles over 1 lakh passengers daily. This number is expected to rise considerably during the Kumbh.
During major festivals and events, passengers are usually held in waiting zones outside the station until their trains arrive, and only those with reserved tickets are allowed onto the platforms. After the stampede incident at New Delhi station on February 16, 2025, a meeting chaired by the Railway Minister was held on March 7, 2025. In this meeting, it was decided that permanent holding areas would be built at 60 major railway stations and 13 other stations across India to help control crowds.
During the Railway Minister’s visit to Nashik on October 4, 2024, instructions were issued to redevelop Nashik Road station into a multimodal hub with the help of a local architecture college. A fund of Rs 500 crore was approved by the Railway Ministry for this redevelopment, which includes a basement and a two-storey terminal building. Minister Chhagan Bhujbal had also requested approval for the holding area to minimize additional expenses and make efficient use of the railway infrastructure.
Accordingly, in March 2025, Minister Bhujbal wrote a letter to Railway Board Chairman Satish Kumar and Central Railway General Manager Dharmveer Meena requesting approval for a permanent holding area at Nashik Road station. Now, the Railway Ministry has formally approved the proposal as part of the Kumbh Mela planning. Nashik’s inclusion among the 73 designated stations has also been confirmed.
War Room to be Set Up at Nashik Road Station for Crowd Monitoring
To strengthen crowd management, several priority actions and measures will be implemented at the 73 identified stations. Waiting zones will be created outside the station to prevent overcrowding inside. Unauthorized access will be blocked using barricades, and only reserved ticket holders will be allowed to enter the platforms.
For general compartments, passenger movement will be divided equally between the front and rear ends of trains. New foot over bridges with widths of 12 and 6 meters will be constructed. CCTV cameras will be installed across the premises, with monitoring handled from a centralized "war room." Digital tools such as walkie-talkies, announcement systems, and calling systems will aid communication. New ID cards will be issued to railway and contractor staff with RPF approval, and uniforms will be made mandatory for all personnel to ensure easy identification during emergencies.