Rail users in the district want the Ministry of Railways to conduct open debates on its services and take feedback from the customers.
They resent that no compartments are being added to the trains that were introduced decades ago despite the growing number of passengers and the frequency too has not been increased.
Voore Gurunatha Rao, a teacher who frequently travels between Mahabubabad and Kazipet, observes that the Secundrabad - Sirpurkagajnagar Bagyanagar Express, Push Pull passenger and the Vijayawada - Secunderabad and Secundrabad - Vijayawada Shathavahana Express trains are packed beyond capacity, especially with office goers. “These trains have hardly eight general coaches. This has to be increased to at least 14, he says.
B. Padma, who often travels between Mahabubabad and Warangal to see her children who are staying in a hostel in district headquarters, says there are no separate counters for train tickets and platform tickets. The Mahabubabad station has no canteen and premises are not maintained neatly. “The station should have better toilet facilities,” she points out requesting for extension of roof along the full stretch of both the first and second platforms.
Mr. Gurunatha Rao says the Ministry should realise that there is urgent need for introduction of more long distance and passenger trains as the existing ones are not catering to the growing number of passengers. They should also increase the number of coaches to the existing passenger trains. “The travelling in train has become a dreadful experience with passengers behaving discourteously with one another due to lack of space,” he explains.
The weekly trains on Sunday and the special trains which are plying with 19 to 20 coaches should be operated twice or thrice in a week.
Efforts should be made to improve the facilities such as availability of water and adequate lighting. “The department should not allow equal number of passengers to stand in the compartment,” Mr. Gurunatha Rao says.
