The unprecedented rush of pilgrims going for the Godavari Pushkarams from north Andhra and Visakhapatnam could be addressed by augmentation of coaches to regular trains running with less number of coaches.
Many reserved ‘pushkaram’ passengers cancelled their tickets even as others travelled without tickets. The long queues at the booking counters and the prospect of missing their trains must have made them decide to travel without tickets, even if that meant paying penalties.
Over 200 reserved passengers from Duvvada cancelled their tickets on Monday and Tuesday, resulting in a loss of about Rs.50,000 to ECoR at Duvvada station,” says RTI activist K. Eswar. The passengers could not board the train as many passengers were squatting on the floor of the coaches.
“Though it is too late for ECoR to plan special trains, they have an option of augmenting coaches to regular trains, originating from Visakhapatnam and going towards Vijayawada, which run with much less than 24 coaches,” he feels.
The trains which can be augmented with extra coaches include train No.12861/62 daily Link Express, running with 11 coaches with another 12 coaches to meet the pushkaram rush, 18519/18520 Visakhapatnam-LTT daily Express running with 20 coaches with another four coaches till Vijayawada, 18503/04 Visakhapatnam-Sai Nagar Shirdi and 22869/70 Visakhapatnam-Chennai weekly trains, running with rake integration, with 19 coaches can be augmented with an additional five coaches.
Similarly, 22801/02 Visakhapatnam-Chennai weekly running with 19 coaches can be augmented with five additional coaches, 18567/68 Visakhapatnam-Quilon weekly running with 15 coaches can be augmented with another three coaches and 12803/04 Visakhapatnam-Nizamuddin bi-weekly, running with 21 coaches can be augmented with another three general coaches.
02877/78 Visakhapatnam-Krishnarajapuram bi-weekly Tatkal special, which has a dedicated rake with 16 coaches can be augmented with eight coaches.
Augmentation of coaches does not require extra manpower like Loco-pilots and Guards but only allocation of extra coaches from the base.
These measures will help to mitigate the problems of pilgrims going for pushkarams and prevent overcrowding and occupation of reserved compartments by general passengers and cancellation of tickets by reserved passengers.
