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Visakhapatnam: Enquiries about train services pour in
- Those who are stranded at various places ahead of the lockdown try in vain for reservations to reach their native places This leads to non-stop enquiries pouring into the station enquiry numbers, toll-free numbers and some of the railway employees known to the passengers
- Railway authorities point out that the decision to resume train services is yet to take shape Any decision will be intimated to passengers through authentic channels
Visakhapatnam: With a majority of travellers under the impression that the Indian Railways would resume services as soon as the 21-day lockdown gets lifted, enquires started trickling in through railway toll-free numbers.
However, given the steady increase in the number novel coronavirus positive cases, it is unlikely that the railways would restart the services post the lockdown period.
Many pinned hopes on reaching their hometown as information about railways resuming the services by April 15 circulated in social media and some of the reports in newspapers.
Those who got stranded at various places ahead of the lockdown tried in vain for reservations to reach their native places. This has led to non-stop enquiries pouring into the station enquiry numbers, toll-free numbers and some of the railway employees known to the passengers.
Initially, the information about post-lockdown journeys began circulating through various social media platforms and that too following social distancing by removing middle and side berths. Many passengers heaved a sigh of relief when they came to know about the news. This apart, the information also included railways asking those having any symptoms of Covid-19 to discontinue their journey as a precautionary measure to contain the pandemic.
But their joy was only short-lived. Brushing aside the reports about railways commencing its services from April 15, Senior Divisional Commercial Manager, Waltair Division, G Suneel Kumar mentioned that such unauthentic information will lead to confusion among the passengers who have been waiting to travel for the past 20 days. He further mentioned that the decision to resume train services is yet to take shape.
Expressing his disappointment, V Rajesh, a Hyderabad-based employee, who reached Visakhapatnam before lockdown, says, "I have been longing to reach Hyderabad to be with my family. I thought I could book a train ticket after the 21-day lockdown period. Now, it is very uncertain as to when I would get a confirmed ticket next."
Some of the railway officers too are getting enquiries from the passengers about the commencement of the train services. "Any decision will be intimated to passengers through authentic channels. Keeping the current situation in view, it is unlikely for the trains to become operational in the next few days," clarifies P V S R Suresh, station manager, Visakhapatnam railway station.
