With schools across Telangana closing for the Sankranti holidays starting Saturday, a massive exodus has begun. Thousands of families are heading to their native places, leading to a sharp spike in passenger traffic at railway stations, bus terminals, and on major highways.
Railways Ramp Up with 300 Special Trains
Anticipating the heavy festive demand, the South Central Railway (SCR) has launched an extensive travel plan. The railway zone has announced 170 special trains across 17 crucial routes, including destinations like Kakinada, Machilipatnam, Visakhapatnam, and Narsapur. In a further move to clear the extra load, another 130 special trains passing through Andhra Pradesh have been planned. The scale of operations was evident on the first holiday Saturday itself, with SCR operating 10 special trains just between Hyderabad and Vijayawada.
Officials project that Secunderabad railway station will handle approximately 2.2 lakh passengers daily during the peak period. Other major hubs are also gearing up for significant crowds, with Lingampally expected to see around 50,000 passengers and Cherlapally about 35,000.
Enhanced Security and Special Stoppages to Manage Crowds
To manage the unprecedented rush, SCR has deployed additional ground staff, including ticket-checking personnel (TTEs) and Railway Protection Force (RPF) teams, with special attention on Secunderabad station. Measures for crowd control, queue management, and security have been intensified, particularly during night hours. A dedicated CCTV surveillance control room is now active, and a 24/7 war room is functioning at the divisional headquarters.
A senior SCR official outlined additional facilities: "Additional train stoppages are being provided from January 1 to January 20 for 16 trains at Hi-Tec City station and 11 trains at Cherlapally. Temporary stoppages have also been arranged for 10 trains at Lingampally. Baggage screening facilities are available at platform number one at Lingampally." The official advised passengers to utilize these stoppage facilities and reach stations well in advance during peak hours.
Despite the massive special service rollout, tickets on regular trains were sold out weeks ago, leaving hundreds of passengers on waiting lists for most popular routes.
Roadways and Highways Feel the Pressure
On the road transport front, the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC) has pressed nearly 6,000 special buses into service to cater to the holiday demand. However, passengers have reported higher fares on these services, with RTC officials attributing the increase to additional operational costs and extended services during the festive period.
The festival rush has severely impacted road traffic as well. On Saturday, heavy vehicular movement caused bumper-to-bumper congestion at the Panthangi toll plaza near Choutuppal in Nalgonda district. Thousands of vehicles travelling from Hyderabad towards Vijayawada and other destinations formed queues stretching for kilometres from early morning, resulting in long delays as the traffic crawled through the toll stretch.
