BENGALURU: Another major doubling stretch between Bengaluru and Hubballi has been declared fit to run trains. The Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS), Southern Circle, on Friday gave the authorisation to the South Western Railway (SWR) Zone to run trains at 90 km per hour on the newly completed line between Chikkajajur and Tolahunse along the Tumukuru-Hubballi section.
This 37 km doubling project was built at a cost of Rs 222 crore and is part of the Rs 1,141 crore project between Chihkajajur and Hubballi. On October 7, the CRS had given the green signal to run trains along the 36-km doubled line between Arsikere and Karadi.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), Constructions, SWR, K C Swami said, “The CRS inspection was carried out on October 24. We received the authorisation to run trains on November 2. We are looking at running trains from mid-December as works related to the yard still need to be completed.” Trains will run along the Arsikere-Karadi section by the end of November, Swami added.
“The completion of these two stretches marks the completion of 73 km out of the total 287 km between Bengaluru and Hubballi for which doubling work is being undertaken,” he said. “The line capacity will improve which would mean that more trains can be run on these lines in future. At present, the crossings the trains take to give way to incoming trains due to the presence of a single line can be done away with these two stretches,” Swami added.
The punctuality along these sections is set to improve but the blocks undertaken to carry out works on the remaining stretches will counter the benefits gained right now, he added.“The running of more trains is possible only when the entire track between Bengaluru and Hubballi stands doubled. So until the remaining 214 km too is completed, the real impact will not be felt,” the CAO added.
Along this route, the portion was doubled between Bengaluru and Tumukuru, between Karadi to Arsikere last month and Chikkajajur to Tolahunse now. The stretches between Tumukuru and Karadi as well as Tolahunse to Hubballi are yet to be doubled.