Visakhapatnam Junction has once again retained its number one position among the top 20 revenue generating railway stations in the Bhubaneswar-headquartered East Coast Railway (ECoR) zone. It could have achieved greater laurels, if originating daily trains to Bengaluru and Chennai, were launched based on the demand.
The total number of tickets issued from Visakhapatnam were 76,03,058; total earnings ₹5543186039 and total footfall 2,77,28,511 during April 2023 to March 31, 2024. It was followed by Bhubaneswar at 72,23,512 (tickets), ₹4972338050(total earnings) and 2,63,88,047 (passengers) during the same period, according to information obtained by Duvvada Railway Users Association secretary Kanchumurthi Eswar under the RTI Act.
The total number of tickets issued at Visakhapatnam Junction between April 1, 2021 and March 31, 2022 was 36,19,062; total earnings was ₹2969824441 and the total number of passengers was 138800224. It is followed by Bhubaneswar 3139922(tickets), ₹2553114605 (total earnings) and total footfall of 111470538 (passengers) during the same period.
The total number of tickets issued from Visakhapatnam from April 1, 2022 to March 31, 2023 were 7043434; total earnings ₹5013692502 and total footfall 26675335. It was followed by Bhubaneswar with 6243611 (tickets); ₹4381469787(earnings) and total footfall 23550066.
Despite consistently recording the highest footfalls and increasing revenue earnings, the facilities are not up to the growing demand from passengers. The demand for introduction of an originating daily train from Visakhapatnam to Bengaluru is not being met for the past several years. Due to lack of berths in passing trains, the passengers from the city are depending on buses or forced to book their tickets from stations falling under the jurisdiction of Khurda Division in Odisha, say rail users.
The demand for creation of additional platforms at Visakhapatnam Junction is also being dodged for the past several years on one pretext or the other, they allege.
Published - July 31, 2024 08:54 pm IST
