VIJAYAWADA: An overnight daily train between Vijayawada and Secunderabad will soon become a reality. Keeping the ever-increasing commuter traffic between the two cities in view, officials of the Vijayawada division of the South Central Railway have made arrangements to introduce the new service in a few days.

With the number of buses operated by the APSRTC and private travel agencies to the State capital falling short of the requirement, the new train service is expected to cater to the needs of a major chunk of the travelling public.

A senior official in the Vijayawada division of the SCR told The Hindu on Sunday that a proposal sent to the headquarters to this effect had been cleared. The service would be launched after fulfilment of a few formalities, the official said, adding that there were also plans to extend the Inter-City service that reached the city at 1.30 p.m. up to Guntur.

Pair train

He said the new train was expected to leave the city at 11.30 p.m. and reach Secunderabad at 6 a.m. the next day.

A pair train would leave Secunderabad at the same time, i.e. 11.30 p.m. and reach Vijayawada at 6 a.m.

The train would not have any sleeper coach, as the SCR officials sought to use the same rake used every day for the Inter-City Express and the Satavahana Express.

For the new train from Secunderabad and Vijayawada, the rake used for the Inter-City Express from Vijayawada to Secunderabad (2705), reaching Secunderabad at 9.50 p.m., would be used. For the service from Vijayawada to Secunderabad, the rake used for the Satavahana Express from Secunderabad to Vijayawada (2714), reaching Vijayawada at 9.50 p.m., would be used.

This means that the new train will also have 16 coaches, including a chair car and four reserved coaches. Once the new service is introduced, the inter-city trains will stop at the terminating stations only for an hour for cleaning of coaches and filling of water.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail