PUTTAPARTHI: The picturesque town of Puttaparthi attracts people from across the world for three reasons. It is the abode of Sai Baba, it houses the Sri Sathya Sai Super Speciality Hospital and has nondescript villages whose denizens visit Puttaparthi. Yet, it is neither well connected by road, rail nor air.

With the extension of the Kacheguda-Dharmavaram Express to the Sri Sathya Sai Prashanthi Nilayam Railway Station on Saturday, it is the second train to this station. The station was described as "modern" by Minister of State for Railways Bandaru Dattatreya. It was built in 2000 at a cost of Rs 1 crore. Before Baba's birthday on November 23 this year, five trains will be extended to Puttaparthi. Last year, the day attracted 10 lakh people.

Yet, the only train serving Puttaparthi till Saturday, the Guntur Express, brings in only 200 people every day. With five more trains, this number is expected to go up to 1,500 a day, says S.P. Shastri, Senior Divisional Commercial Manager, Bangalore, Southern Railway.

People wanting to visit Puttaparthi from other cities till today either came to Bangalore and got connected with the now-defunct Bangalore-Puttaparthi Express or landed at Dharmavaram and took a bus or taxi. "Improving the train services is not enough, the roads have to be improved too," Dattatreya told local politicians at the flagging-off of the extension train on Saturday.

The frequency of the only flight from Mumbai to Puttaparthi is dependent on the festival rush of Diwali, Christmas, Buddha Poornima, New Year, Rama Navami and all Indian festivals which are celebrated at Baba's abode. During such seasons, special coaches will be introduced to handle the rush, says station master S. Satish Reddy. The Bangalore-Guntur railway section not being fully commissioned so far was the reason for the minimal number of trains to Puttaparthi.

And the most shocking thing in the station is the skeletal security during these times of increasing number of attacks on religious and cultural places in India. Moreover, the Dharmavaram-Penukonda-Chakaralapalli route was well known just five years ago for its heightened Naxalite activity.

When VIPs come visiting, a medley of policemen from the Railway Protection Force, Railway Protection Special Force and the Andhra Pradesh police take over the Puttaparthi station. But on a regular day, it does not have adequate security. In the light of earlier attacks on Baba's ashram, local MPs and ministers have been instructed by Dattatreya to increase the security at the railway station which has life-size portraits of the Baba.