The fact that the COVID-19 pandemic has drastically affected businesses across the world is well known. While the travel industry was one of the worst affected sectors, the good news is that it is gradually but definitely picking up. The South Central Railway (SCR), for example, resumed train services in a phased manner, beginning with the fully reserved express trains. Once 100% of the trains in this category resumed, in July, they resumed trains in the unreserved category. The revenues of SCR, which used to generate Rs 10 crore on an average daily during the pre-pandemic times, is now generating Rs 8 crore daily. The revenue, which had considerably fallen during the pandemic, is now gradually increasing with the resumption of more trains. The South Central Railway is spread over five states: Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.
According to the South Central Railway, 100% of trains in the fully reserved express trains category have been restored. This includes only the trains in the purview and jurisdiction of SCR. These trains are maintained and restored by the SCR. If trains that are not under SCR but are passing through SCR are considered, then around 90% of such trains have been restored. The remaining trains are yet to resume services due to operational reasons.
The fully reserved express trains category has recorded a 103% patronage. Long-distance trains, especially, have witnessed good patronage. “For example, if a train is originating from Secunderabad and heading to New Delhi, there may be a passenger travelling from Secunderabad to Bhopal and another passenger who booked from Bhopal to New Delhi. This is how the patronage has been recorded to be 103%,” CH Rakesh, Chief PRO of South Central Railway, told TNM.
SCR said that the inter-state trains are seeing better patronage than trains operating intrastate. Trains from the south to destinations like Delhi, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Orissa and West Bengal have been seeing the highest patronage.
If the intra-state trains are considered then the patronage is still between 50-80% depending on the day of the week and other circumstances. Secunderabad to Bidar, Secunderabad to Kurnool, Nanded to Aurangabad and Aurangabad to Nanded and Kurnool to Repalle, among others, are some routes that have recorded lesser patronage. SCR said this may be because people are preferring to take the road to cover shorter journeys.
The trains in the ‘unreserved trains category,’ which used to record around 7 lakh passengers daily, are now seeing only around 80,000 passengers on an average daily. In the unreserved trains segment today, only 83 trains are being operated as against the 300 trains that were operational during the pre-pandemic period.
Platform tickets prices were hiked from the existing Rs 30 to Rs 50 at the Secunderabad railway station in April 2021, which according to SCR, was a precautionary measure against COVID-19. However, since the unreserved trains are operational, the platform ticket rates have been reduced to pre-COVID-19 times. Across stations in the Secunderabad division, the rates have now been fixed at Rs 10, except at Secunderabad and Kachiguda railway stations, where the price are fixed at Rs 20.
The Multi-Modal Transport System (MMTS) caters to a stretch of 50 km spread across the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. The MMTS, which covers 29 stations, helps connect the eastern part of the city to the Western end. Though the metro rail operates within the twin cities, the MMTS continues to be a cheaper lifeline for many commuters there.
During the pre-pandemic period, SCR was operating around 121 MMTS train services. Presently, only 55 services — less than half of the pre-pandemic number — are being operated. The total number of trains is being increased in a phased manner. Rakesh, CPRO, SCR, said, “We have reworked the MMTS train timings to cater to the needs of the people in the peak hours. We have cut down the number of trains that were operating in the lean hours. The trains have been scheduled in such a way that it suits those using the services.”
Across railway stations and trains, SCR has resumed catering services. Like pre-pandemic times, people can book tickets online, over the counters, through the app or from the machines installed at railway stations. As part of the precautions taken during the pandemic, the passengers travelling in AC coaches are still not being provided with blankets and pillows. As many passengers are wary, curtains are also now not being used inside the coaches for the comfort and safety of passengers.
When asked when the revenues are expected to reach the pre-pandemic times, CH Rakesh said, “While the resumption and restoration of services are underway, it all depends on the COVID-19 situation. All facilities with respect to ticket booking and cancellation have been restored. We are trying to ensure everything goes smoothly. It is with this intention that we are resuming services in gradual phases. It is just a matter of time before all services on all routes are resumed.”