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Red Line from Vijayawada to Narsapur

"THE NEXT station is Jackson... the next station is Jefferson... the next station is Clark... " so goes the spree of announcements in the Blue Line trains in the city of Chicago.

And, now it's the turn of Vijayawada to have a train with such ultra-modern compartments sans toilets. After all, it is a short-distance travel.

Of course, India has a very long way to go before reaching the level of Blue Line or Green Line suburban on city trains. For, neither the stations, nor the coaches are air-conditioned. The coaches still have manual doors. Hydraulic doors remain a distant dream. But, once the track on the route designated for the train to move is electrified, the day will not be far when the public address system in the train would tell the passengers not to lean on to the doors.

It would also tell them not to touch the door even when the train is moving. But, it takes time. So what? The railways made a big leap in their effort to provide the best of the available intra-city transport system.

The very look of the aero-dynamic structure of the engine is impressive. The rake link between Vijayawada-Gudivada-Narsapur is set to give a different feeling to a traveller. This Red Line will go as 131 Vijayawada-Bhimavaram Passenger once in five days. It is used in other routes on other days. It leaves Vijayawada at 7.20 am to reach Narsapur at 12.35 pm.

For, the train would be stopped in an identified station for the passengers to relieve themselves and also have "matha cola" in a "matti lota" and proceed further.

Thanks to the efforts of the General Manager of South Central Railway, T. Stanley Babu, this "Red Line" train reached Vijaywada, lest it should have gone somewhere else. The train is becoming operational from Monday. The very seating arrangement is alluring for anyone to board the train at least once. The patronage, the Railway authorities hope, will be overwhelming. For, the train looks so different from all others rolling on the same tracks.

A. SAYE SEKHAR

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