Vijayawada: The Vijayawada Division of South Central Railway has achieved a remarkable milestone by operating 90 originating special train services during Sankranti this year—the highest-ever deployment of special trains by the Division. These efforts were aimed at ensuring seamless travel for passengers during the festive season, informed to Public Relations Officer Nusrat M Mandrupkar.
Speaking to media here on Monday, he said that commencing on January 1, the division deployed special trains to high-demand destinations, including Secunderabad, Tirupati, Narasapur, Kakinada, Visakhapatnam and Kollam. Of the 90 originating services, 74 operated between January 8 and 25, while an additional 85 passing-through special trains were handled during the season. This initiative played a significant role in managing the festival rush effectively.
A standout achievement was Vijayawada Division’s exceptional punctuality record, with an average of 88 per cent punctuality during the operation of these special trains. On January 18, Vijayawada Division recorded the highest-ever punctuality performance at 94.7 per cent, surpassing its previous best of 94.3 per cent on November, 2024.
In order to ensure smooth operations, the division implemented extensive arrangements, including deployment of additional staff, supervisors, and officers, establishment of 30 additional UTS and PRS counters at major stations, engagement of ticket-checking staff for round-the-clock assistance to passengers, deployment of 25 supervisors, 75 ticket staff, and help desks at busy stations, ticket checking staff were engaged in Boarding/ Deboarding duties round-the-clock by guiding the passengers in and out of reserved/general coaches, enhanced cleanliness and sanitation measures at stations and onboard trains with additional cleaning staff, passenger census was recorded at all stations, and immediate reporting of any untoward incidents was followed by deploying officials.
Divisional Railway Manager Narendra A Patil expressed gratitude and appreciation to the team led by D Narendra Varma, Divisional Operations Manager, and Rambabu Vavilapalli, Divisional Commercial Manager for their dedication and meticulous planning.
