SCR extends special parcel train services

Medicines, fruits, fish among commodities being loaded: DRM

Essential goods being taken for loading in a parcel train at the railway station in Vijayawada.

The South Central Railway (SCR) decided to extend the services of special parcel trains in some routes due to increasing patronage. The parcel trains would run for six more months in selected routes, the officials said.

Ten special parcel trains would run touching Vijayawada, Rajahmundry, Eluru and Anakapalli stations up to December.

The railway parcel services were faster and capable of carrying larger volume of cargo to long distances in a short period. For instance, a 100-kg parcel booked for 500 km was being charged ₹163 and for 1,300 km the charge was just ₹370, the authorities said in a press release.

3,000 tonnes loaded

The Vijayawada railway division had loaded more than 3,000 tonnes of essential goods through the special parcel trains during the lockdown period, including eggs, mangoes, frozen fish, ghee, milk and other perishable goods.

“We transported 60 tonnes of medicines to various destinations from Vijayawada, Nellore, Eluru, Gudur, Anakapalle and other stations in the division. About 1,750 tonnes of fish and dry fish has been loaded to various destinations in different States,” said Divisional Railway Manager P. Srinivas.

Senior Divisional Commercial Manager (Sr. DCM) P. Bhaskar Reddy said 109 tonnes of fruits, 134 tonnes of eggs, 158 tonnes of lime, 54 tonnes of ghee and other essentials had been transported through the special parcel trains during the pandemic. Interested people could dial the helpline (9701370083) or contact the zonal commercial control office, chief parcel supervisors or the nearest railway stations for loading essentials in the special trains, he said.