The exhibition train ‘Science Express’ has received overwhelming response with more than 50,000 people visiting it during its three-day sojourn in Visakhapatnam.
There were models and exhibits advocating the use of mass public transport like railways to mitigate the effects of global warming and reducing eco-pollution.
This should be of specific interest to the railway authorities.
Thousands of people commute from Rajahmundry, Kakinada, Anakapalle and Duvvada as also from Kottavalasa, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam to the Visakhapatnam city and back every day. As the railways have not responded to run passenger trains and MEMU (Mainline Electrical Multiple Unit) trains in tune with the demand, the daily passengers are being forced to rely on private vehicles and buses.
This is not all, giving a two-minute halt to Express trains at the satellite stations at Duvvada and at Anakapalle, will save hundreds of passengers the hassle of travelling 25 km away to Visakhapatnam by road. One can imagine the amount of fuel to be used by autos and cars to transport these passengers to the main station.
Meanwhile passengers from Visakhapatnam region, can take solace from the fact that with Visakhapatnam poised to be made the headquarters of the proposed new railway zone in Andhra Pradesh, all these problems can be solved sooner than later.
The shortage of platforms at Visakhapatnam junction is resulting in several trains being held up at the outer signal and at satellite stations like Anakapalle, Duvvada, Simchachalam and Kottavalasa.
“I travelled by the 58502 Kirandul – Visakhapatnam Passenger from Araku to Visakhapatnam on February 11. It arrived at Simhachalam Station at its right time but was held up to give way to the Falaknuma Express. While 58502 Passenger was scheduled to arrive at Visakhapatnam at 8.50 p.m. and was on course, the Falaknuma Express was scheduled to reach Visakhapatnam at 9.10 p.m.,” says Dhuvan Kumar of the city.
An Express train being giving precedence over a Passenger train is understandable. Even after Falaknuma left, our train was detained a couple of times, before being held up at Kancharapalem outer signal once again. Some tourists from Odisha were worried that they would miss the Coromondal Express, which they had to catch at Visakhapatnam.
“I came to know that our train was being detained frequently as the platforms were occupied at Visakhapatnam Railway Station. Adding four more platforms and laying a third line from Gopalapatnam to Visakhapatnam can provide a permanent solution to the problem,” he feels.
(Reporting By B. Madhu Gopal)
