After 51 days of lockdown period, Vijayawada railway station witnessed the first passenger train arriving from Delhi on Thursday (14th May 2020). According to Vijayawada railway division officials, the New Delhi-Chennai Central special train transited the station amidst ‘elaborate and fool proof’ arrangements.
As part of partial restoration of passenger services by Indian Railways in a graded manner, Special Train no. 02434 New Delhi to Chennai Central was handled at Vijayawada railway station. The AC special train reached Vijayawada station 2.35 pm, where 318 passengers alighted on platform 1, while another 242 of 282 booked passengers boarded the special train to Chennai.
This train is a bi-weekly special that allows passengers from Delhi to reach Chennai, starting on Wednesdays and Fridays. With the railways now announcing that all other train operations to be suspended till June 30, many other stranded passengers living in Mumbai, took two trains to reach Vijayawada.
“I was lucky to get two tickets, from Mumbai Central to Delhi on Tuesday and from there got the Delhi-Chennai train at 3.30 pm on Wednesday to make my way back home. I was stranded there for almost two months,” a railway passenger said, while speaking to reporters.
Officials said that the station was disinfected prior to passengers’ arrival. All passengers arrived at around 12.30 pm for officials to carry out thermal screening. Separate entry and exit gates were demarcated.