Alleging that several practical solutions given to avoid trains bypassing Visakhapatnam Junction are not being implemented by the authorities concerned, the Zonal Railway Users’ Consultative Committee (ZRUCC) of the East Coast Railway (ECoR) appealed to Railway Minister Piyush Goyal to ensure that the bypassing trains were re-routed.

In a letter to Mr. Goyal, ZRUCC member N. Gajapathi Rao pointed out that as many as 15 pairs of important trains including five regular ones were bypassing the Visakhapatnam Junction.

While thanking the Central government for creating the South Coast Railway (SCoR) zone with its headquarters in Visakhapatnam as promised in the Andhra Pradesh State Bifurcation Act, Mr. Gajapathi Rao pointed out the five regularly trains bypassing Visakhapatnam station were making halts at Vizianagaram station, some 62 track km away from the city.

Of these, three trains stop again at Duvvada, some 20 track km away Visakhapatnam.

The five regular trains bypassing are 12245/46 Howrah-Yesvantpur Duronto Express, 22831/32 Howrah-Satya Sai Prasanthi Nilayam Express, 12863/64 Howrah- Yesvantpur AC Express, 12551/52 Yesvantpur-Kamakhya AC Express and 22877/78 Howrah-Ernakulam Anthyodaya Express.

‘Inconvenience to passengers’

The remaining 10 pairs of trains are weekly special services that have been introduced to clear the festival rush.

These trains are making halts at Kottavalasa station, 26 track km away from the city, during the late night hours. And the passengers, after alighting from the trains, are finding it difficult to travel back to teh city, Mr. Gajapathi Rao said.

“The platforms in Visakhapatnam railway station would be empty at that time of the night, but the authorities concerned do not seem to be interested in utilising the opportunity to bring the bypassing trains to the city ralway station,” Mr. Gajapathi Rao said in his letter.

The ARUCC member also appealed to the Railway Minister to get the matter examined and ensure justice to the people of Visakhapatnam at the earliest.