Sankranti travel rush swells in Visakhapatnam
Sankranti holiday travel picked up on Saturday as thousands left Visakhapatnam for their native places after schools and colleges closed for the festival break. The railway station and APSRTC bus terminals saw heavy crowds from morning.
Railway officials said most trains ran at full capacity throughout the day. The Janmabhoomi Express (12805) departed at 6.15 a.m. with all berths filled. The evening Godavari Express (12727) also ran fully booked. “The rush began early and continued through the day,” a railway official said.
Passengers travelling towards Vijayawada and nearby towns mainly relied on the Janmabhoomi Express and Simhadri Express (17240). Those heading to Srikakulam Road, Palasa, Sompeta, and Ichchapuram preferred the Visakhapatnam–Bhubaneswar Intercity Express (18412), which departs at 3.20 p.m.
The station also saw higher arrivals from Secunderabad, Chennai, Mumbai, and Pune. Long-distance trains such as Garib Rath, Coromandel, Konark, Falaknuma, and East Coast Express brought large crowds into the city.
Platform No. 8 reported the heaviest congestion ahead of the arrival of the Ratnachal Express (12718) at 12.20 p.m. Many passengers reached nearly two hours early, adding to the rush. Some travellers tried to board general coaches while others were still getting down, leading to brief disorder. “We deployed additional staff near general compartments to regulate movement,” the railway official said.
APSRTC terminals remained crowded till around 9 p.m. Buses operated near full occupancy to Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Kakinada, Rajamahendravaram, Bhimavaram, and Rajolu. Services to the north Andhra districts also saw heavy demand. APSRTC Visakhapatnam Regional Manager B. Appalanayudu said, “We are operating additional services and will deploy night buses if demand continues.”
Officials said occupancy touched 130%, indicating a heavy standing passenger load. Collections rose by nearly ₹45 lakh, with revenue estimated at ₹1.75 crore.
Meanwhile, railway sources said four new weekly trains to Bengaluru will begin from January 17 via Duvvada, bypassing Visakhapatnam. The decision has renewed demands for a direct Visakhapatnam–Bengaluru service.