The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : City travellers' plans go awry, thanks to Mumbai deluge

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Aug 01, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

City travellers' plans go awry, thanks to Mumbai deluge

Special Correspondent

Train services cancelled; people make a beeline for private bus operators

ON THE ROAD AND NOWHERE TO GO: Private bus operators' decision to run services only to Pune leaves Mumbai-bound city passengers in the lurch as some wait at a counter in Nampally on Sunday. - Photo: Mohd. Yousuf

HYDERABAD: Heavy rain in the commercial capital of the country sent travel plans of several people in the city bound for Mumbai and beyond haywire.

With air, rail and bus services cancelled, people were put to untold hardships scouting for any mode of transport to take them to Mumbai.

This is the second time in less than a week that transport links with Mumbai from the city have been cut off. With train services cancelled, people were seen making frantic enquiries with various private bus operators right from Sunday morning.

Scramble for seats

Utter confusion prevailed over the operation of the bus services, which normally start late noon from various points, and passengers were seen huddled up with their baggage there.

With bus operators deciding to operate only till Pune, that too at more than the normal fare, there was a mad scramble for the seats.

At the Begumpet airport, people waited in vain for hours together for the flights to take off. With flights of various airlines cancelled, passengers stood in long queues seeking refund.

With little information coming forth, the frustration of passengers, particularly those bound for overseas destinations taking connecting flights from Mumbai, peaked as they accosted the airport authorities.

Special train to Pune

The South Central Railway pressed into service a special train to Pune late in the evening while Hussainsagar, Konark and Mumbai expresses were cancelled for the day.

One special train from Pune to Hyderabad with the composition, timings and halts of train no.7031 Mumbai-Hyderabad Express will leave Pune at 4.40 p.m. on Sunday.

In view of the restoration works still in progress on the Parbhani-Manmad section, the South Central Railway (SCR) on Sunday made the following changes in schedules:

Express diverted

Train No.7663 Manmad-Kachiguda Express leaving Aurangabad at 4.30 p.m. on Sunday will be diverted to run via Manmad, Daund, Wadi, Vikarabad and Secunderabad to Kachiguda.

Train No.1405 Manmad-Kakinada Town Express scheduled to leave Manmad on Sunday will be diverted to run via Manmad, Daund, Wadi, Vikarabad and Secunderabad to Kachiguda.

Train No.7017/7018 Rajkot-Secunderabad Express will run via Surat-Jalgaon-Manmad-Daund and Wadi.

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