Notwithstanding the advancement in the departure of Duronto Express from Visakhapatnam to Secunderabad, there are complaints that the fastest train, between the biggest cities in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, is regularly reaching Secunderabad late.
“The travails of the Duronto passengers start right from their reaching the station. One expects that a premium train like Duronto would be allotted either platform 1 or at least PF-8 at the starting point (Visakhapatnam). The train was scheduled for departure at 8.15 p.m. but there was no display of the platform number or at least announcement till 8 p.m.,” says M. Uday Bhaskar, who travelled by this train along with his family on Sunday.
“Hardly 15 minutes before the departure time the train was taken on PF-3 to annoyance of waiting passengers. The action of the railway authorities in not taking the train on PF-1, though it was free, defies logic. The train left at its scheduled time 8.15 p.m. I realised before long that the AC was not functioning.”
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“The premium non-stop train, for which we had to shell out Rs.1,195, stopped at Anakapalle, Elamanchili and some other places. I was told that the Bhubaneswar – Tirupathi Express, which was going ahead, was the reason for the slowing down of the ‘fastest train’. Finally, the train reached Secunderabad at 8.05 a.m., two hours behind schedule,” he bemoans.
The immigration check-post at Visakhapatnam International Airport, which was damaged during Hudhud, has been provided with temporary sign boards, pending erection of regular boards.
Police Commissioner Amit Garg during his visit to the check-post last month directed the officials concerned to upgrade it for the convenience of international passengers.
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“Five counters are functioning at the arrival/departure points at the check-post instead of six, post-Hudhud. Temporary boards have been arranged and officials of the Airports Authority of India have agreed to provide permanent boards, based on the standards at international airports,” according to Assistant Commissioner of Police (Special Branch-Immigration) Duppala Rajeswara Rao.
“Seats have been arranged for senior citizens, mothers with infants and physically challenged persons. They are being given preference in immigration clearance through a separate counter. Segregation of international and domestic passengers is being done at the starting point itself to avoid confusion and separate queue lines are being maintained with the help of ‘Q’ managers,” he says.
The Immigration staff are discharging their duties in two shifts and attending to immigration checking for the arrival and departure of three international flights from Visakhapatnam to Dubai (Air India), Visakhapatnam to Singapore (Silk Air) and Visakhapatnam to Kuala Lumpur (Malindo Air).