Manish, a medical representative, who travelled from Secunderabad to Visakhapatnam by 12740 Garib Rath Express on March 19, says: “Our travails began at the fag end of our journey. At Gopalaptnam E.I (Electronic Interlocking) cabin, 02853 Howrah-Ernakulam Suvidha and after Marripalem Halt station 17240 Simhadri Express crossed our train in the opposite direction”.
“67291 Vizianagaram-Visakhapatnam MEMU, which was ahead of us at Kancharaplem outer signal, was pushed to PF no.1. Our train stopped at Kancharapalem at7.35 a.m. and I eagerly awaited the green signalfor our train. But before our train was allowed into the station, 22415 AC AP Express crossed at 7.55 a.m., followed by 17016 Visakha Express at 8.07 a.m. In between, 18517 Korba Express was shunted by an ALCO locomotive towards the Coaching Complex”. “Finally, 12740 an SCR train, was slowly taken into PF No. 5 at 8.15 a.m. after a 35-minute delay, even as five platforms were vacant. While our train was entering PF No. 5, I noticed that train no. 67291 was converted into 67294 Visakhaptnam-Palasa MEMU and was leaving from PF.no.1.”
“I realised that E Co R passenger trains, going towards Bhubaneswar, are given more importance than an Express train arriving in Visakhapatnam. I lost my cool and rushed to the Station Superintendent’s Office on PF. No. 1 and questioned the rationale behind detaining 12740 for 35 minutes at the outer signal. He replied that the trains were being sent in a sequence,” says Mr. Manish.
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The superintendent maintained a stoic silence, when I asked: “Then how come a passenger train, which was ahead of us arrived on PF.no.1, being sent back as 67294?”
“Then I asked him whether, he was instructed by the Bhubaneswar HQs to control trains to cause hardships to Visakhapatnam passengers, and left. This shows that Visakhapatnam originating/terminating trains, coming from South, are detained at outer (Kancharapalem) intentionally and allowed into the station only if more than four PF s are empty,” he says.
Mr. Manish says: “The time it stopped at outer signal is taken in NTES and shown as right time arrival at Visakhapatnam to mislead Board officials. 12740 is a ‘non-maintained train’ at coaching depot at Visakhapatnam, it is irrelevant on which platform as there is no need of shunting it. It is also observed that train arrivals at Visakhapatnam are made more cumbersome, despite having route relay interlocking than a ‘non-route relay interlocking station’ at Vijayawada.
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It is high time passengers raise their voice against E Co R, or else Visakhapatnam passengers will continue to be treated as second rate citizens, he adds.
I. Narasimha Murthy of Muralinagar, employed in Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, travelled by the S 12 coach of 12727 Godavari Express on March 20.
“The coaches were very dirty and I had a vomiting sensation with pungent smell emanating from all sides. I came to know through some passengers and staff that 12728 express, which arrives on PF.No.1, is casually taken to the maintenance depot but is returned back the next afternoon at 2.30 and placed on PF.No.8 as 12727, without cleaning. I made a vain bid to get the coach cleaned but no railway staff or TTE was found,” he says.
“Though an announcement was made that 12727 would depart at 5.25 p.m., the train was detained for a long time. However, 18401 Puri - Okha with brand new coaches arrived on PF No. 7 at 5.45 p.m. and finally, our train left at 5.58 p.m. As our train was passing by the old Steam Loco Shed, I saw there was a technical snag being attended on a snapped overhead conductor, which is unrelated to the departure of 12727.
Under ECoR dispensation only God can save Visakhapatnam passengers from routine delays, he noted.