Hyderabad’s railways, state-run buses and airport authorities have expanded passenger-management arrangements as travel demand rises ahead of the Dasara festival, with the South Central Railway planning around 700 special trains and the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation preparing nearly 7,000 additional bus services.
Passenger traffic has increased sharply at major railway stations. Secunderabad station, which normally handles more than 1.1 lakh passengers a day, is now recording nearly 1.5 lakh daily passengers while redevelopment work continues. Nampally station is handling between 25,000 and 30,000 passengers a day, while daily footfall at Kacheguda has risen to between 44,000 and 55,000. Charlapalli station is recording between 35,000 and 50,000 passengers daily.
The South Central Railway said crowd-management measures had been put in place at major stations to prevent overcrowding on platforms and foot overbridges and to improve passenger safety. At Secunderabad, a queue system has been introduced for heavily crowded trains to support orderly boarding.
Four designated holding areas have also been created at Secunderabad station, with a combined capacity of between 1,750 and 2,000 passengers. Help desks at Platforms 1 and 10 will provide information about train services, platforms and special trains.
Railway Protection Force personnel have been deployed at entry and exit gates, booking offices, waiting halls and other sensitive locations. Government Railway Police personnel and home guards have also been stationed at key points. Quick Response Teams will remain on standby, with railway officials coordinating with local police and the district administration in case of emergencies.
The TGSRTC is planning around 7,000 additional bus services during the festive season, particularly for passengers travelling to their hometowns on Friday and Saturday. The corporation operated 2,474 special bus services between October 9 and 14, achieving 94.07 per cent of its target, according to officials.
The Hyderabad zone operated 682 buses against a target of 860 during that period. Medak exceeded its target, reaching 123.15 per cent, while Nalgonda achieved 79.70 per cent, Mahbubnagar 70.17 per cent and Rangareddy 37.74 per cent. The corporation also deployed 227 additional buses in Greater Hyderabad after an unexpected rise in passenger demand.
Air travel is expected to increase over the festive weekend as well. Rajiv Gandhi International Airport authorities have advised passengers to reach the airport well before their scheduled departure times to allow for check-in and security procedures.
Travellers have also been asked to plan their journeys to and from the airport in advance. The airport has recommended using app-based cabs, prepaid taxis, car rentals or the Pushpak Luxury Airport Liner to reduce the possibility of last-minute inconvenience during the expected rush.
The transport agencies’ arrangements will remain focused on managing the additional passenger volumes through special services, designated waiting areas, security deployment and advance travel planning during the festive period.
