South Central Railway to run over 600 special trains for Dasara

Form the twin cities, trains will run from major railway stations including Secunderabad, Hyderabad, Kacheguda and Lingampalli as starting points

Hyderabad: For those planning to travel home or take a short trip this Dasara festival but are doubtful of finding seats in regular trains, the South Central Railway (SCR) has a piece of good news. Nearly 620 special trains which will be operated from various locations to two Telugu States and other neighbouring States.

With October being the month of festivals, the SCR is all set to run these special trains to make the journey hassle-free. Form the twin cities, trains will run from major railway stations including Secunderabad, Hyderabad, Kacheguda and Lingampalli as starting points.

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During the festive season, the number of travellers peak between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh to various destinations including Vijayawada, Machilipatnam, Kakinada, Tirupati and Visakhapatnam. About 200 trips are being scheduled between two Telugu States.

Apart from this, for people who are traveling to other States, special trains are being run to places like Jaipur, Shirdi, Rameshwaram and other major rush areas.

“Keeping in mind the passenger rush, special trains have been planned. Compared to last year, almost 100 more services are being operated now. We will continuously monitor regular routes on daily basis and whenever the rush peaks on a route, coaches of regular trains will be increased,” said a senior railway official. Moreover, if coaches are available to form a complete train, officials said, they will do that as well.

With educational institutions declaring Dasara vacation to students, many families also plan their pilgrimages to various places across Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and other States in the country. “Almost 140 trains each are planned to take passengers outside the SCR zone and bring passengers from other States into our zone during the festive season,” the official said.

The SCR has already introduced ‘Bharat Gaurav Tourist’ trains keeping in mind travellers proceeding to holy shrines during Dasara festival. During the month, two ‘Bharat Gaurav’ trains will travel to holy places including Kashi, Puri, Ayodhya, Rameshwaram., etc.

Railway officials said extra ticket counters and guidance will be made available with adequate staff for the convenience of passengers. With the renovation of railway stations being taken up, steps have been taken to avoid inconvenience.

While thefts are common during festive rush at railway stations, officials say they have ensured proper security to prevent any untoward incident.

“Security aspects, both physical and through CCTV surveillance system, are in place and three level monitoring will be done – station, division and zone level. During the night, the RPF personnel will escort trains with focus at crime prone areas and major junctions. Passengers in need of assistance can contact the staff anytime,” the senior official said.