Specials to Bangalore, Chennai needed
There is no originating train from Visakhapatnam to Bangalore and the East Coast Railway (ECoR) authorities do not seem to have realised the need to run at least a special train to cater to the huge demand from passengers.
The cancellation of two daily flights from Vizag to Bangalore by the beleaguered SpiceJet and Sankranti holidays led to a spurt in the demand for accommodation on trains. Though Air Asia is planning to operate two daily flights from Vizag to Bangalore, the plan is likely to material only...
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after Sankranti.
The Bhubaneshwar-headquartered ECoR is running special trains to Bangalore from Sambalpur and Bhubaneshwar ignoring the biggest city under its jurisdiction-Visakhapatnam. The demand for berths is the highest from Visakhapatnam than any other station over ECoR. Unfortunately, the quota of berths is very less from Visakhapatnam and even the timings of the passing trains are very inconvenient for passengers from Visakhapatnam.
The non-availability of a special train from Visakhapatnam to Chennai on Sundays is causing problem to people from Vizag, employed in Chennai, coming for the weekends to their native place.
“They are relying on buses to return to Chennai on Sundays. The private bus operators are running more services on Sundays from Visakhapatnam to Chennai to cash in on the demand. But lack of toilet facilities and higher fare deters women and senior citizens from travelling by buses,” says Duvvada Railway User’s Association secretary K. Eswar.
The existing Visakhapatnam–Chennai weekly express is being operated on Thursdays and the proposed Visakhapatnam-Chennai (22801) weekly special is planned to leave Visakhapatnam at 7 p.m. on Fridays and reach Chennai on at 9.35 a.m. on Saturdays. The date of operation of this train is yet to be announced.
“This proposed train should start from Visakhapatnam around 4 p.m. on Sundays to reach Chennai by 6 a.m. on Mondays. This would enable employees and students from the city, working or studying in Chennai, to attend to their work after the weekend,” says Mr. Eswar.
Though there are quite a few passing trains like Coromandel express and Guwahati–Chennai express, they are either day trains or reach Chennai at odd-hours.
One wonders as to why the only originating weekly train of ECoR from Visakhapatnam to Chennai and the proposed special should have inconvenient timings and days of operation.
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