SCR manages massive Sankranti rush, records one crore passenger movement

South Central Railway operated 209 special trains between January 7 and 18 to manage the Sankranti travel rush. SCR carried about one crore passengers, nearly 10 lakh more than last year, and strengthened crowd control, ticketing and security arrangements across major stations.

Hyderabad: The South Central Railway (SCR) had handled an unprecedented passenger rush during the Sankranti festival season by operating 209 special trains and implementing comprehensive crowd-management measures across its network.

Anticipating heavy rush, SCR authorities put proactive plans in place well in advance, deploying additional manpower and strengthening passenger amenities at major stations.

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Between January 7 and January 18, SCR operated 209 special trains in addition to its regular services. These trains primarily originated from key terminals including Secunderabad, Kacheguda, Lingampalli, Charlapalli, Vikarabad, Tirupati, Tiruchanur and Nanded, connecting high-demand destinations such as Vijayawada, Kakinada, Anakapalli, Machilipatnam, Narsapur, Srikakulam, Bengaluru and several other important stations.

During the 12-day peak period, SCR carried approximately one crore passengers, which is nearly 10 lakh more than the corresponding period last year.

Several major stations across the zone recorded exceptionally high footfall. Secunderabad station alone handled more than two lakh passengers in a single day, compared to its usual daily average of 1.3 lakh. Kacheguda station registered 68,500 passengers, more than double its regular daily average.

To effectively manage the festival rush, senior officials from the Operating, Commercial and Security departments were stationed at major railway hubs. Additional ticket counters and Automatic Ticket Vending Machines were opened to reduce waiting time, while information about special trains was widely disseminated through various medium.

Security arrangements were strengthened with the deployment of adequate Railway Protection Force and Government Railway Police staff at platforms, Foot over Bridges, entry and exit gates and onboard trains.