South Central Railway to run 150 Sankranti special trains
HYDERABAD: South Central Railway will operate about 150 special trains during the Sankranti festival season to manage the surge in passenger traffic, its chief public relations officer A Sridhar said on Monday.
Services across regions
The special services will connect Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, and also run to destinations in north, east and south India, Sridhar told reporters.
Extra trains to pilgrim centres
Special trains have been earmarked for high-demand pilgrim destinations such as Tirupati and Shirdi. With the additional services, a total of about 600 trains will operate during the festival period, helping manage crowds at major stations like Secunderabad, which is undergoing extensive redevelopment works.
Steps to ease station congestion
To ensure smoother movement, the railways have diverted select trains to Charlapalli, Kachiguda and Lingampalli. Some services will temporarily originate from alternative stations. The objective is to reduce congestion and provide a more comfortable travel experience, officials said.
Road traffic measures
Separately, the Telangana Roads and Buildings department estimates that around 1 lakh vehicles could ply daily on the Hyderabad–Vijayawada National Highway during the festival rush. Telangana minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy reviewed arrangements and said he would personally monitor conditions on the ground, including by touring stretches on a motorcycle.
Letter to the Centre
The minister has written to Union minister Nitin Gadkari seeking a ‘freeway’ system at toll plazas to prevent vehicle queues. He said discussions with the Union minister would be held soon and that the state government could consider nominal payments, if required, to ease the burden on commuters.
Officials were also directed to take special steps to ensure smooth transport for lakhs of devotees expected at the Medaram Jatara. The government, the minister said, is taking all precautions to ensure uninterrupted travel during festivals and fairs.
