Train connectivity a key issue in Elamanchili Assembly constituency

Train connectivity a key issue in Elamanchili Assembly constituency. With at least one in five households in the constituency spread over four mandals commuting by trains to their workplaces, and their demand for a halt in Elamanchili for eight key trains not fulfilled, the issue may influence the outcome of the elections on May 13. Meanwhile, JSP president Pawan Kalyan’s campaign in Elamanchili scheduled for April 8 has been cancelled.

Provision of passenger-friendly services, particularly train connectivity, at the Elamanchili railway station is one of the factors that may influence the outcome of the May 13 elections in the Elamanchili Assembly Segment (EAS), which comprises four mandals — Munagapaka, Achyuthapuram, Elamanchili and Rambilli.

At least one in five households in the constituency commutes by train every day to reach the place of work. Private and government employees from the four mandals commute by trains to Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam, and to the local factories nearby, mostly pharmaceutical companies.

As only a few key trains halt at the station, the commuters prefer to go to either Anakapalli that is located 25 km away or Tuni to catch the connecting trains.

“Travelling to these two places (Anakapalli and Tuni) during night and odd hours is very difficult, especially for women, girls, and senior citizens. If there are enough services at our station, there will be no issue at all,” says Srinivasa Rao, a passenger.

Elamanchili railway station is a non-suburban Grade-5 category station under the Vijayawada Railway Division of the Secunderabad-based South Central Railway (SCR). Its annual revenue varies from ₹1 crore to ₹10 crore, and handles 10 lakh to 20 lakh passengers annually.

“We have been demanding that key trains be stopped at the Elamanchili railway station for the last two decades. We have been mentioning about eight trains in particular. We have also made several representations to the Ministry of Railways. We hope that the newly elected public representatives will focus on our demand,” says K. Satyanarayana, President of the Elamanchili Passengers’ Welfare Association.

According to Mr. Satyanarayana, the eight key trains are Mahabubnagar Express, Ratnachal Express, Prasanthi Express, Konark Express, Chennai Express, A.P. Express and Garibrath.