Rail users demand direct Vizag-Bengaluru express train

Rail users in Visakhapatnam demand a direct express train to Bengaluru, citing persistent high demand and ongoing neglect.

An originating direct train to Bengaluru continues to elude Visakhapatnam, nearly two decades after the only originating train – Prasanthi Express – was extended to Bhubaneswar, ignoring the protests of people in the Vizag region. This is despite overwhelming patronage, consistently high demand and assurances given by successive Railway Ministers.

Incidentally, originating trains to Bengaluru operate from comparatively smaller cities like Bhubaneswar, Sambalpur, Kakinada and Machilipatnam, but the largest city in Andhra Pradesh continues to be ignored by the railways, say rail users.

Three new express trains were recently announced to Bengaluru from various destinations in north India. However, all three will bypass the main station – Visakhapatnam junction – and instead run through Duvvada, Pendurti and Kottavalasa.

In response to RTI queries seeking reasons for bypassing the Visakhapatnam junction, railway authorities replied: “Engine reversal at Visakhapatnam junction is resulting in a delay of 20 minutes.” Interestingly, the SMVT Bengaluru-Alipurduar-SMVT Bengaluru are Amrit Bharat trains and do not require engine reversal, as the trains have engines at both ends.

Further, Train no: 12552/Kamakhya - SMVT Bengaluru AC SF Express, Train no: 22863 Howrah - SMVT Bengaluru AC SF Express and Train no: 12245 Howrah - SMVT Bengaluru Duronto Express (all running in same slot) are also being routed through Simhachalam North and Duvvada, despite the long-pending demand to reroute them through the city station.

“A premium superfast special express train operated by the South Western Railway (SWR) in December 2014 between Bengaluru-Vizag was a hit. A weekly super fast tatkal fare special (06579/80) operated between October 2016 to November 2018 had an average occupancy rate of 135%,” BJP leader N. Gajapathi Rao, who was then a ZRUCC Member, wrote to the then Railway Minister Piyush Goyal in November 2019.