The introduction of a Vistadome coach on the Visakhapatnam-Araku train route has been welcomed warmly by tourists, thanks to its plush seats and panoramic windows that offer stunning views of the hills, valleys and tunnels on the way to Araku.
There is a high demand for the limited number of seats, which are usually booked months in advance. There have been calls for augmenting the number of Vistadome coaches, which would also give a much-needed boost to the tourism sector in the Agency.
While assurances were made in Parliament that more Vistadome coaches would be allotted to the Visakhapatnam-Araku route, nothing has materialised till now.
Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, in response to a query from Rajya Sabha MP V. Vijaya Sai Reddy seeking allotment of five Vistadome coaches for the Araku tourist train, replied in Parliament in November last year that additional Vistadome coaches were being manufactured and would soon be provided for the benefit of tourists.
The lone Vistadome coach was provided to the Visakhapatnam–Kirandul Passenger (up to Araku) in April 2017. A second Vistadome coach, which was allotted subsequently to this train, was reportedly given away to another zone.
“I am not aware of the Vistadome coach running elsewhere in the country. We are supposed to get two Vistadome coaches from the ICF and we expect to receive them soon,” Divisional Railway Manager Chetan Kumar Shrivastava told The Hindu on Tuesday, when asked for a clarification on posts by social media users that a Vistadome coach was being used by Central Railway.
On the revival of the Araku Passenger for the benefit of tourists going to Araku, Mr. Shrivastava said that poor patronage has led to the cancellation of the train. He said trains originating from Visakhapatnam would be restored in due course.
“I will take up the issue with railway officials,” Visakhapatnam MP M.V.V. Satyanarayana said.
