The problem of goods trains, being parked on Platform-1, has become a recurring feature at Duvvada Railway Station. Passengers, including senior citizens, women and children had a harrowing experience during the arrival East Coast and Janmabhoomi Express trains on Tuesday last.
The passengers had to rush up and down the Foot-Over-Bridge (FOB) with their heavy luggage as these trains were allotted to PF-2 as PF-1 was occupied by a goods train. Duvvada Railway Users’ Association secretary K. Eswar apprised the Waltair Division authorities of the problem and was told that the Vijayawada Division had not given the clearance for the goods train, which resulted in it being held up on PF-1. The Visakhapatnam-bound trains, coming from the south, are also being held up before and after Duvvada regularly. The Railway zones should accord priority to the convenience of passengers, feel rail users.
The Visakhapatnam Region of APS RTC has announced its plans to operate 960 buses to Vijayawada for the Krishna pushkarams. On an average 80 buses and 80 round trips will be operated on each day of the pushkarams, according to RTC Regional Manager G. Sudesh Kumar.
The buses will be operated from 2 a.m. (early hours) of August 12 to August 23 from the Dwaraka Bus Station in Visakhapatnam to Vijayawada. In addition, 10 buses each will be operated from Anakapalle and Narsipatnam Bus Stations for the convenience of the pilgrims of those areas.
Normal fares will be collected on these buses. The fares for adults range from Rs.380 on Express services to Rs.750 for Metro Luxury A/C services and Rs.230 to Rs.600 children respectively. These buses will drop the passengers at YV Rao Estate, a temporary satellite bus station, arranged for the purpose.
Free city buses will be arranged from there to drop the passengers at the bathing ghats at two-minute intervals.
After completion of the holy dip in the Krishna River, pilgrims intending to return home can again board the free buses to YV Rao Estates, from where they can board buses to Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam districts.
The Visakhapatnam-Hyderabad Godavari Express reached its destination, over three hours behind schedule on Friday last. “The train left at its scheduled time from Visakhapatnam but was stopped near Thadi for over an hour. We were told that the engine of an express train, which went ahead of us had failed,” according to B. Sai Gopal of Lawson’s Bay Colony, who travelled by that train. “The train, instead of making up for the lost time, was stopped at several unscheduled stops and finally reached its destination around 9.30 a.m. I had to rush through my pending works in Hyderabad as I had to catch the evening flight to Chennai,” he said.
