Hyderabad: As the Sankranti festival triggers one of the largest annual passenger movements across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, South Central Railway has stepped up its crowd management and safety measures, rolling out a comprehensive plan to ensure smooth, secure and well-regulated festive travel.

With lakhs of passengers travelling to their native places, pilgrimage centres and tourist destinations within a limited time window, the emphasis this year has been on proactive crowd control, decentralisation of passenger handling and augmentation of train services. High-density corridors towards Vijayawada, coastal Andhra, Rayalaseema and major religious destinations have been identified as priority sectors, with focused deployment of resources throughout the festival period.

To meet the seasonal surge, South Central Railway is operating more than 800 special trains during January, including a significant number of Sankranti special and unreserved services. These trains are connecting key destinations such as Vijayawada, Tirupati, Visakhapatnam, Kakinada, Narasapur, Bengaluru and other high-demand centres. The enhanced services are aimed at clearing waiting lists, reducing congestion in regular trains and offering flexible travel options for passengers undertaking last-minute journeys.

A major pillar of the crowd management strategy is decentralisation, particularly in the Hyderabad–Secunderabad region. Suburban and satellite terminals such as Charlapalli, Lingampalli and Hi-Tech City have been strengthened to function as effective alternative boarding and de-boarding points. Additional and temporary stoppages have been provided for several popular trains at these stations, enabling passengers to access long-distance services closer to residential and workplace clusters. This has played a crucial role in dispersing crowds and easing pressure on core terminals during peak travel hours.

Lingampalli and Hi-Tech City stations are catering extensively to suburban and IT corridor commuters, while Charlapalli has emerged as a key terminal for long-distance services. Enhanced passenger handling, baggage screening facilities and increased staffing at these stations have helped streamline movement and prevent overcrowding, particularly during evening and night departures.

At Secunderabad Railway Station, where large-scale redevelopment works are underway, special arrangements have been implemented to balance construction activity with passenger safety. Platform No 1 has been temporarily closed, and passenger operations have been shifted to the Platform No 10 side at Bhoiguda. This side offers wider entry and exit points, improved circulation areas, lift facilities and organised parking, including Basement-1 parking. Parking restrictions continue on the Platform side, while enhanced parking and smoother vehicular access at Bhoiguda are helping minimise congestion.

Safety and security remain central to the festive arrangements. Joint ground operation teams comprising Railway Protection Force personnel and ticket-checking staff have been deployed at major stations to regulate entry and exit, manage queues, ensure foot overbridge clearances and assist passengers. Additional RPF personnel have been positioned at vulnerable locations to respond swiftly to crowd build-up and maintain order. Surveillance has been strengthened with extensive CCTV coverage feeding into round-the-clock control rooms. Passenger movement and train operations are being monitored continuously to enable quick decision-making and timely interventions. Construction zones at redevelopment sites have been fully barricaded, and all obstructions at passenger access points have been cleared to ensure safe passage.

Passenger amenities and hygiene have also received focused attention. Adequate food stalls, drinking water facilities and clean waiting areas have been ensured across stations. Regular sanitation drives are being carried out, especially at high-footfall locations, to maintain cleanliness during the festive rush. Information dissemination has been intensified through public announcements, digital display boards and updates on social media, print and electronic platforms, keeping passengers informed about special trains, platform changes and coach positions.

A Sridhar, CPRO South Central Railway, said the zone was fully prepared to handle the Sankranti rush. “South Central Railway has put in place comprehensive safety, crowd regulation and hygiene measures to manage the festive passenger surge. Special trains, decentralised terminals such as Charlapalli, Lingampalli and Hi-Tech City, strong RPF deployment and continuous monitoring are ensuring smooth passenger movement and a safe travel experience for all,” he said.