VISAKHAPATNAM: Though through trains are touching Visakhapatnam railway station now after the completion of route relay interlocking (RRI) and civil works, passengers and those waiting to receive them are undergoing difficulties due to late arrival and departure of trains.

But the railways say this delay is bound to occur as the operation, communication and signalling staff are yet to fully familiarise themselves with the new computer-operated system.

Women and elderly persons feel inconvenienced as they are made to wait for two to three hours in the train just to cover a 30-km distance to Visakhapatnam from Duvvada.

An ordeal

Says 65-year-old Ramalakshmi of Bangalore, who arrived here by Prashanti Express: "The train is supposed to reach the city at 1.10 p.m. But it came at 4.35 p.m. As I am a sugar patient, I could not take food on time and I almost fainted in the coach.'' K. Subba Rao, who was waiting for the arrival of his daughter and her children from Delhi, said the railways should do something to improve the situation quickly. He said: "The Link Express from Nizamuddin should have reached at 1.25 p.m. Now it is already 5.15 p.m but the train is not in sight. I don't know how long I have to wait."

While Ratnachal Express reached at 2.35 p.m. instead of noon, suffering a delay of over 150 minutes, Howrah-Chennai Mail had a delay of 40 minutes. It reached at 1.20 p.m. instead of 12.40 p.m. Likewise 6004 Chennai-Howrah Mail arrived at 3.50 p.m. (instead of 1.50 p.m.) and 2845 Bhubaneswar-Yeshwantpur Express at 3.10 p.m. (2.30 p.m.). Same is the case with the departing trains. While Visakhapatnam-Tirupati Tirumala Express left at 3.35 p.m. (1.50 p.m.), 2861 Visakhapatnam-Nizamuddin Link Express moved at 3.55 p.m. (3.10 p.m.) and 8563 Visakhapatnam-Bangalore Prashanti Express left at 1.40 p.m. (11.30 a.m.). Divisional Railway Manager Indra Ghosh promises that things will improve in two weeks. Talking to The Hindu he said the drivers, shunting and signalling staff are yet to fully familiarise themselves with the new panel.

A senior official said the number of signals under the RRI system had increased from 31 to 67. The number of shunting necks had also gone up. All stop signals are provided with safe operation in case of track-circuit failure. "So passengers have to bear with us for some more time as the staff are operating electronic gadgets instead of mechanical ones," he said.

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