Vasu Potnuru Visakhapatnam

Itis like winning a lottery for the people of Srikakulam district if they get a confirmed berth on Tirupati-bound trains as they often experience great inconvenience when booking tickets to the pilgrim centre every time. Even if they try to book tickets months in advance for Tirupati, it is almost impossible for them to get confirmed tickets because there are no direct trains originating from Srikakulam until now.

However, the scenario is changing now because the newly-introduced direct train service introduced is expected to transform travel experience for devotees, ensuring greater comfort, improved accessibility and increased berth availability. The earnest efforts taken by Union Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu eventually yielded desired results as they aided in securing approval for the first-ever direct regular train service between Srikakulam and Tirupati. This initiative marks a major milestone for the region’s transportation network.

Working on this long-pending demand, the Railways has officially issued orders to introduce the Tirupati–Srikakulam Road Humsafar Express (17439/40) and the service is set to commence from April 13. According to railway officials, this new train will operate every Sunday evening from Tirupati and every Monday afternoon from Srikakulam Road, offering a consistent and reliable travel option for North Andhra passengers.

Highlighting the journey behind the move, Civil Aviation Minister and MP Ram Mohan Naidu stated that he had been relentlessly pursuing the direct train service to Tirupati for a very long time. He emphasised that his consistent efforts through multiple engagements with the Railway Minister, Railway Board members, DRMs followed by frequent zonal meetings aided in grounding the project faster.

Marking the new connectivity for the district, the inaugural run of this significant service will be flagged off from Srikakulam Road station on April 13. In a step to further accelerate railway development in the region, the Union Aviation Minister assured that he is committed to adding more new train services to the district.