Hyderabad: The iconic Godavari Express railway service that extends from Hyderabad to Visakhapatnam on Thursday marked its 50th year of operations since being pressed into service on February 1, 1974.
The incident was marked by rail enthusiasts at the Nampally railway station, who cut a cake and distributed it to passengers when it started from the station at 5.05 pm.
Abdul Rawoof, the chief ticket inspector of the train, said the passengers of Godavari Express were generally among the best behaved across services he had worked on.
Suresh Kandepu, a software professional, said he had been taking the train for 25 years to visit his native place in Gajuwaka.
Banka Hari Krishna Prasad, a bank manager, who has been frequently using the service since 1982, said, “I first took this train from Vizag to Hyderabad for the state basketball selections. Thereafter, I was constantly travelling. I played for the Indian team and captained it for several years, which is how I got my bank job. So, travel in this train is an integral part of my life.”
In the early years, the train ran once daily, departing from Visakhapatnam station at 5.20 pm and arriving at Hyderabad station at 6.45 am the next morning. During the return journey, the train departed from Hyderabad at 5.15 pm and reached Visakhapatnam at 5.50 am the next morning.
