Vijayawada Railway division will soon have 150 automatic ticket vending machines (ATVM) reducing the congestion at booking counters during the peak hours. However, these machines will issue only unreserved tickets.
Sanction has been obtained for installation of five lifts (two each at Rajahmundry and Ongole stations and one at Eluru) and six escalators (two at Rajahmundry and one each at Anakapalli, Gudur, Ongole and Samalkot) in 2014-15. These facilities will be in place by the end of March 2015, said Divisional Railway Manager Pradeep Kumar.
Addressing a press conference as part of the Railway Week celebrations here on Monday, Mr. Pradeep Kumar said a sum of nearly Rs. 20 crore has been spent on improvement of passenger amenities in 2013-14. Bapatla, Dwarapudi, Gudur, Kakinada Town, Machilipatnam and Nellore stations were modernised as ‘Adarsh’ stations and 26 A-1, A and B category stations were identified as model stations.
Vijayawada and Nellore stations are being developed as multifunctional centres (MFC) comprising shopping malls, restaurants, budget hotels etc. by the Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA). Rajahmundry station has already been developed as a MFC.
On the performance front, Mr. Pradeep Kumar said the division has won 18 shields for the year 2013-14 including the General Manager’s Efficiency Shield. It will be presented to the DRM in a function to be held in Hyderabad on April 15.
Performance Efficiency Index, a key indicator of the Division’s financial position, is maintained at 47.52 per cent with an operating surplus of Rs 1,772 crore till the end of March this year. Goods earnings registered an increase of 9.40 per cent from approximately Rs 2,276 crore in 2012-13 to Rs 2,490 crore in 2013-14. There was a jump of 8.40 per cent in freight loading from nearly 28.33 million tons to 30.26 million tons during those years.
Personnel of the Railway Protection Force were providing security in 18 trains and those of the Government Railway Police were keeping a watch in 80 trains.
