South Central Railway announces Sankranti special trains and new amenities
Hyderabad: In anticipation of Sankranti holiday traffic, South Central Railway (SCR) announced a series of special trains and new passenger amenities. Advance bookings for the special trains will open at 8 am on Sunday, railway officials confirmed. Several existing train timings, including that of the Janmabhoomi Superfast Express, have also been revised.
To manage the increased travel demand, some weekly special trains have been extended for additional weeks. The new services aim to ease pressure on high-demand routes during the festive period.
Sankranti special trains include Secunderabad-Anakapalli, Hyderabad-Gorakhpur
Special train schedules are as follows:
- Secunderabad–Anakapalli (07041) on January 4, 11, 18
- Anakapalli–Secunderabad (07042) on January 5, 12, 19
- Hyderabad–Gorakhpur (07075) on January 9, 16, 23
- Gorakhpur–Hyderabad (07076) on January 11, 18, 25
With lower ticket prices compared to private buses, rail travel continues to attract passengers heading to Andhra Pradesh cities such as Visakhapatnam, Guntur, Tenali, Repalle, and southern destinations like Chennai, Puducherry, and Bengaluru. Reservations for several popular routes are already full.
SCR has also launched airport-style “sleeper pods” at Charlapalli and Kacheguda stations to enhance passenger convenience. These modern pods come with luggage lockers, mobile charging points, free Wi-Fi, and clean restrooms. Railway officials stated that passengers can rent the pods by the hour for short-term rest.