SCR loses 2.4 cr passengers in 2 yrs

Rail officials clueless over decline

Hyderabad: Brakes are overriding the accelerator as far as the South Central Railway (SCR) is concerned as it is losing out passengers in millions. It may be hard to believe that the railways in spite of low fares is no longer attracting passengers.

The SCR lost 24 million passengers between 2013-14 and 2014-15. In 2013-14, 386 million passengers travelled by trains but the number dropped to 362 million passengers in 2014-15. The authorities have been trying to figure out the reasons for the decline in passenger traffic. Railways across the country had lost 191 million passengers in 2014-15.

Going by the downward trend all over the country, chances of bettering the previous year seems bleak, say experts. Railway ministry data shows that from April to August in financial year 2015, nearly 3,575 million passengers travelled by trains, this year in the same period 3,425 million travelled, resulting in a fall of 4.2 per cent.

While the General Managers of all zones are trying to figure out the reasons for the lukewarm response from passengers, experts opine that it is simple.

The burgeoning middleclass is sitting in airport lounges rather than at railway platforms. Sample this: A First Class AC ticket in Sampark Kranti (Train No 12649) from Hyderabad to Delhi costs Rs 4,360 and in Telangana Express (Train No 12723) it is Rs 4,405 and in Rajdhani (Train No 22693) it is Rs 5,425. Flight charges on the same route are between Rs 3,626 and Rs 3,730 in SpiceJet, Indigo and Jet Airways.

Mallikarjuna Rao, a businessman who is a frequent traveller to Vijayawada, says, “A First AC ticket in Falaknuma, Godavari and Goutami Express is between Rs 1,400 and Rs 1,515 while one can board an Air Costa for just Rs 2,576. The travel time is just 50 minutes. I rather spend a few more hundred rupees than spend time in a train.”

Another reason for people not boarding trains from Hyderabad in most capital cities of neighbouring states are just an overnight journey by road. Naresh, an employee of NKB Travels says, “You can hop onto a bus at 7 pm from Hyderabad and by 7 am you are in the heart of Mumbai and by 6 am in Bengaluru. We have regular passengers who preferred to travel by bus as it is convenient.”

Senior Railway officials feel that the railway is losing passengers in short distance travel but corporate India is thinking otherwise. Debomitra, a travel executive with a leading travel agency in Hyderabad, says, “Several airlines offer very low fares if one books well in advance, which is three months. People, including whole families who never dreamt of air travel are now able to afford to travel by air.”

People prefer to travel by road especially if one has to reach Hyderabad in the morning. Due to the limited platforms at Secunderabad Railway Station, several trains are detained at signal points for long period.

While the number of trains increases, there is hardly any expenditure to improve the infrastructure. The Secunderabad division is having double line and runs MMTS trains, passenger express, super fast trains including goods trains on the same track.