SCR Braces for Festive Rush at Secunderabad Railway Station
With footfall expected to touch 2 lakh, trains diverted and new passenger routes planned for Dasara, Diwali
Hyderabad: South Central Railway has drawn up a plan to handle the festival rush at the Secunderabad station, which is undergoing redevelopment work.
According to official data, the 1.3-lakh footfall at the station rises to nearly 2 lakh passengers during the festival season, particularly from the last week of September, with people visiting their native places for Dasara and Diwali.
A study conducted over two days showed that Platform 1 was the most popular entry and exit point for passengers. Up to 90 per cent of unreserved passengers used it as it is better connected with RTC buses, Metro Rail, and hotels compared to Platform 10 at the Bhoiguda entrance side.
The foot overbridges see over 10,000 passengers per hour during peak timings — 5 am to 8 am and 9 pm to 11 pm — and are considered severely congested, the report showed.
To mitigate congestion, officials said they had diverted a few trains during peak timings to the Sanathnagar-Ammuguda-Moula Ali-Charlapalli route, with halts at satellite stations.
An official told Deccan Chronicle that SCR planned to construct a gate from Platform 1 to the Secunderabad (West) Metro station. Passengers using four-wheelers are to be encouraged to use Platform 10, as few pick-up and drop-off bays and parking are available near Platform 1.
Passengers using private cars are urged to use the parking lot near Platform 12. The 12-minute entry/exit toll gate for four-wheelers at Platform 10 is no longer in force, the official pointed out.
Officials would take the help of Government Railway Police, city police, and the TGSRTC to manage crowds.
