The inaugural run of the Visakhapatnam-Chennai-
Visakhapatnam weekly express (22801/22802) being run by East Coast Railway (ECoR) is scheduled to be flagged off from Chennai on Sunday.
Worse, Visakhapatnam MP and BJP State president Kambhampati Haribabu is not aware of the inaugural run fixed from Chennai. “I am not aware of the Chennai-Vizag inaugural run. The ECoR authorities have not even bothered to inform me of the halt for Garibrath at Duvvada on January 14,” Mr. Haribabu told The Hindu .
Mr Hari Babu represented to General Manager of ECoR to change the timings of 22869/22870 Visakhapatnam-Chennai weekly express to reach at 6 a.m., but was told that the timings of the train was fixed in consultation with the Passengers’ Association and change will to lead to resentment among public and lead to other operational constraints.
The train 22801/22802 takes a longer route via New Guntur with more than 14 hours of journey time.
“The inaugural run appears to have been deliberately planned from Chennai as the ECoR officials would not be able to explain to the Railway Minister why an A-1 grade Visakhapatnam railway station has not been repaired even three months after Hudhud,” a Congress leader said. Not only are the roofing sheets on most platforms damaged but also the announcement system.
In this context the representation of East Coast Railway Shramik Union (ECoRSU) general secretary Ch. Gandhi to the Railway Board seeking the release of Hudhud relief funds directly to Waltair Division makes sense. It’s learnt that the contractors were unhappy with the undue delay in the release of funds and were not evincing interest in the completion of restoration works at Waltair Railway Station.
Divisional Railway Manager Anil Kumar attributed the delay in the completion of roofing work to acute shortage of roofing material in view of the huge demand for it from various quarters.
