Pune: Indian Railways will invest around ₹1,600 crore to upgrade infrastructure at five stations under the Bhusawal division of Central Railway (CR) ahead of the Simhastha Kumbh Mela in Nashik. The five stations—Nashik Road, Devlali, Kherwadi, Kasbe Sukene and Odha—are being upgraded to handle the massive influx of pilgrims expected during the religious gathering.Indian Railways will invest around ₹1,600 crore to upgrade infrastructure at five stations under the Bhusawal division of Central Railway ahead of the Simhastha Kumbh Mela in Nashik. ((PIC FOR REPRESENTATION))Swapnil Nila, public relations officer, Central Railway, said, “The projects are progressing at a rapid pace to ensure the stations are ready well before the Kumbh Mela. The special trains that will operate from different parts of the country for the Kumbh Mela will originate from or terminate at these five stations.”Among the five stations, Nashik Road will receive the largest share of the investment as it is expected to handle the highest volume of special train operations. Located on the busy Mumbai–Howrah route, the station will serve as the primary rail gateway for pilgrims.Railways will also establish a dedicated control centre at Nashik Road to regulate the movement of special trains and assist passengers with travel-related issues during the event.To strengthen operational capacity, four new stabling lines will be developed to accommodate empty rakes of special trains. Platform number 1, which currently accommodates 22-coach trains, will be extended to handle 24 coaches. A new foot overbridge (FOB) is under construction, while the existing FOB is being widened.“The station will get 16 new toilet blocks, additional drinking water facilities and a 2,100-square-metre passenger holding area for crowd management, considering the expected surge in footfall,” Nila said.At the remaining four stations, similar infrastructure works, including new FOBs, passenger holding areas, sanitation facilities and drinking water amenities, are also underway.Bhusawal divisional railway manager Punit Agarwal and other senior officials are closely monitoring the progress of the projects.In addition to passenger amenities, a major yard development project is underway at Odha station. With support from the local administration, Railways has acquired 3.43 acres for the project. Land acquisition is also in progress for the redevelopment of Kherwadi and Kasbe Sukene stations.Devlali station is around 7 km from Nashik city, while Odha, Kherwadi and Kasbe Sukene are about 11 km, 19 km and 25 km away, respectively. During the Kumbh Mela, local bus services will ferry devotees between these four stations and Nashik city to reduce congestion at Nashik Road station.