Anakapalle MP Muttamsetti Srinivasa Rao has written to the Divisional Railway Manager of Waltair more than 10 days ago seeking conversion of the Visakhapatnam-Yeswantpur Suvidha into Tatkal special.
Drawing the attention of the railway authorities to the plight of rail users, Mr. Srinivasa Rao said while the Yeswantpur-Visakhapatnam special is being run as Tatkal special, in the return trip from Visakhapatnam to Yeswantpur it was operated as Suvidha special, causing a lot of financial burden on passengers.
The MP also sought making the Yeswantpur-Visakhapatnam-Yeswantpur into a daily originating train and regularising it, besides ensuring that the Visakhapatnam-Yeswantpur reaches Yeswantpur before 8 a.m. on Mondays to enable office-goers to reach their offices on time.
Nothing has been heard from the Ministry for Railways so far. Looks like the officials concerned have detained the MP’s letter at the ‘outer signal’ on the lines of the detention of many trains terminating at Visakhapatnam.
Union Minister for Urbn Deelopment M. Venkaiah Naidu during his recent visit to Visakhapatnam Railway Station also wanted to improve the ‘on time performance’ of trains terminating at Visakhapatnam.
Venkaiah Naidu is also said to have taken up with Union Minister for Railways Suresh Prabhu on the need to run the Yeswantpur-Visakhapatnam-Yeswantpur, being operated by the South Western Railway (SWR), into a daily train and the latter had responded favourably.
V.L. Mohan and his mother V Premalata, senior citizen, travelled from Asansol to Visakhapatnam by 12376 Asansol - Chennai Central Super fast exp (weekly) 3rd AC recently. The train had started at Asansol (West Bengal) at the right time but it reached Visakhapatnam an hour late. The train reached Vizianagaram on time. But, after Vizianagaram it moved like a ‘slow passenger’ though there was no stoppage between Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam.
There is no pantry car in this train and passengers, including senior citizens, children and pregnant women, faced a lot of difficulties as they could not even get snacks, tea, coffee, milk and water bottles in the morning.
“The train took about an hour to cover the short distance though it did not stop after Vizianagaram,” recalled Mr. Mohan.
(Reporting By B. Madhu Gopal)
