Visakhapatnam Connectivity Push: Flights to Ranchi, Vande Bharat to Bengaluru?

Visakhapatnam is pushing for better connectivity, with demands in both air and rail travel emerging as key requests from the people and government officials. 

Demands for Vande Bharat Connecting Vizag, Bangalore Via Tirupati:

On the railway front, speculation has been growing around the possibility of a new Vande Bharat Express service connecting Visakhapatnam to Bengaluru via Tirupati. Reports suggest that railway division officials may have already drafted proposals for the route and schedule.

If such a service materializes, it could cut travel time to Bengaluru by nearly three hours compared to existing trains, while also offering pilgrims from Uttarandhra greater convenience in reaching Tirumala.

The suggested plan mentions eight coaches, including seven AC chair cars and one executive chair car, with the train running six days a week except Tuesday. There are also indications that authorities are considering a sleeper-class Vande Bharat option in the near future.

Flight service between Vizag and Ranchi:

Air India will reportedly begin new flights connecting Ranchi and Visakhapatnam from September 1.

Additionally, on the air travel front, Visakhapatnam MP M Sribharat has strongly advocated for the introduction of a morning flight to Tirupati. He pointed out that pilgrims from the city are currently unable to access Srivani darshan tickets, which are allotted only during the morning hours in Tirupati, and a dedicated flight would provide them with much-needed access.

Alongside this, he asked for new international air links to Malaysia and Colombo, to cater to the growing business and tourism between these regions and Visakhapatnam.

The meeting also saw discussions about passenger facilities at the airport. The MP sought the establishment of a low-cost UDAN Yatri Cafe to counter high concession prices, similar to the affordable outlets already available in Kolkata, Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Ahmedabad, and Pune. Concerns were also raised about the poor state of washrooms and frequent technical issues with baggage scanners, which have been causing inconvenience to passengers. Sribharat urged authorities to address these shortcomings at the earliest.

These developments are pushing hard to improve the connectivity in Visakhapatnam in the future. 

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