Hyderabad: With Sankranti just around the corner, getting train tickets to Andhra Pradesh has become extremely difficult. Although the railways have introduced a few special trains, most of them are already fully booked. Adding to the challenge, the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has stopped bookings for January 11, 12, and 13 since the waiting lists have exceeded the permissible limit.
The South Central Railways (SCR) operates trains to key destinations in Andhra Pradesh during the Sankranti season. These destinations include Visakhapatnam, Machilipatnam, Nellore, Kakinada, Narasapur, Bhimavaram, Eluru, Ongole, Vizianagaram, and Tirupati. However, this year, fewer trains have been announced because many have been diverted to Prayagraj for the Kumbh Mela, which runs from January 13 to February 26.
Passengers have expressed frustration over the lack of train services, leading many to rely on alternative modes of transport, like buses. Unfortunately, bus fares are much higher than train fares during this period. For instance, a train ticket from Hyderabad to Visakhapatnam costs Rs 700, but TSRTC bus fares for the same route have jumped to between Rs 1,313 and Rs 1,900 during the festival season.
Some passengers have shared their concerns about the inadequate train services. “SCR has announced special trains for the festival rush, but they are insufficient. I have been trying to book a ticket to Narsapur for two months, but most trains on this route are fully booked. SCR should introduce more trains,” said B.T. Srinivasan, General Secretary of the United Federation of Residents Welfare Association.
Another passenger, Ramesh Yadav, a private school teacher, added, “I booked a ticket from Secunderabad to Ongole two months ago, but it is still not confirmed. Instead of just running special trains, SCR should also add more coaches to existing trains to handle the demand.”
An SCR official, speaking anonymously, mentioned that around 205 special trains have been announced so far. The official also noted that there are plans to introduce more special trains in the coming days compared to last year to ease the festive rush.
