SCR, RTC gear up for Sankranti festive rush

HYDERABAD: As Sankranti approaches, people in Hyderabad are preparing to travel to their hometowns. To meet the increased demand, South Central Railway (SCR) is operating around 200 special trains towards various destinations, including Visakhapatnam, Machilipatnam, Kakinada, Narsapuram, Tirupati, Kurnool, Nellore, and parts of Odisha and West Bengal. These trains will run from January 1 to 20, with the highest demand for travel between the two Telugu states expected between January 10 and 20.

SCR is offering a mix of reserved and unreserved coaches to accommodate all types of passengers. Those seeking reserved tickets can book them online through the IRCTC website or at railway PRS counters. Passengers wishing to travel in unreserved coaches can purchase tickets through the UTS mobile app.

SCR General Manager Arun Kumar Jain urged passengers to take advantage of the additional travel options and make their journeys safe, comfortable, and stress-free. The railway is taking various measures to handle the Sankranti rush and provide smooth transport for passengers, Jain said.

In addition to the special trains, the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) will be plying 4,233 special buses from January 7 to 14 to destinations including Amalapuram, Kakinada, Kandukur, Visakhapatnam, Polavaram, Rajahmundry, Nellore, Razole, Udayagiri, Narsapuram, Ongole, Guntur, and Vijayawada. These buses will depart from various locations in the city, including MGBS, JBS, Uppal Crossroads, Aramghar, LB Nagar crossroads, KPHB, Bowenpally and Gachibowli.

Another 212 special buses will be available from January 16 to 18 for those returning from AP. A two-way ticket with a 10% discount is being offered for the return journey. There will be no additional charges for travelling on these special buses.