Rail users pitch for ‘patch doubling’ of line ahead of Mahamaham at Kumbakonam

With the Mahamaham festival at Kumbakonam slated in March 2028 expected to attract a huge influx of devotees to the temple town from various places by trains, rail users have pitched for “patch doubling” of the existing single railway line stretch from Thanjavur to Mayiladuthurai via Kumbakonam to enable operation of more services during the festival period.

The suggestion has come at a time when senior officials of the Tiruchi Railway Division and the Thanjavur district administration held a joint meeting late last month at Kumbakonam to discuss the preparations for the Mahamaham festival scheduled from February 29 to March 9, 2028. 

The plans of the railways and their preparedness to handle the anticipated influx of devotees and ensure their smooth and safe movement was conveyed at the meeting. The discussions covered anticipated pilgrim footfall, crowd management, and augmentation of passenger amenities at Kumbakonam among others.

With no signs of track doubling of the over 200-km mainline section from Thanjavur to Villupuram via Kumbakonam and Mayiladuthurai, which has been a long-pending demand, rail users have now voiced their suggestion to the railway administration to take up at least patch doubling project taking into consideration the anticipated huge turnout devotees who would reach Kumbakonam by trains for the forthcoming festival.

“The patch doubling project can be carried out between Thanjavur and Mayiladuthurai via Kumbakonam. If that is not possible, the railways can at least take up patch doubling between Aduthurai and Sundaraperumalkoil which are the two block stations near Kumbakonam to ensure seamless movement of trains during the festival period”, says A. Giri, secretary, Thanjavur District Railway Users’ Association. 

The State government had conducted a review meeting at Kumbakonam on the arrangements to be made for the Mahamaham with the projection that at least 90 lakh pilgrims are expected in 2028 for the festival which is celebrated once in 12 years. The 10-day festival is considered to be the ‘Kumbh Mela’ of the South when a large number of devotees take a holy dip in the Mahamaham tank on ‘Maasi Maham’ day. 

Trains will be the preferred mode of transport this time too for a huge number of devotees as the Mahamaham tank is situated close to the Kumbakonam railway station, said Mr. Giri, a former member of the Tiruchi Divisional Railway Users’ Consultative Committee.

“Early sanction of patch doubling project by the Railway Board, New Delhi, either between Thanjavur and Mayiladuthurai or from Sundaraperumalkoil to Aduthurai stations and its completion well before the festival would pave the way for increase in efficiency, seamless movement, and enable operation of more services to Kumbakonam benefiting the devotees”, Mr. Giri said. Residents of Kumbakonam said that the previous Mahamaham held in 2016 saw continuous flow of devotees taking bath in the Mahamaham tank even after the conclusion of the festival.