CHENNAI: Train connectivity between Chennai and northern parts of Karnataka is set to get better with railways introducing a biweekly express between Chennai and Hubbali.
The regular service of new bi-weekly express will commence from Hubbali on September 17 and from Chennai on September 18.
An inaugural service will be flagged off on Saturday (September 14) in Hubbali, according to official documents.
The train has been introduced by South Western Railway based on the request by Union Minister Pralhad Venkatesh Joshi, who is a Member of Parliament from Dharwad constituency in Karnataka.
The biweekly train will leave Chennai at 3 pm on Wednesdays and Saturdays and reach Hubbali at 5.15 am on the next day. Similarly, on return direction, the train will leave Hubbali at Tuesdays and Fridays
at 9.05 pm and reach Chennai at 10.50 am on the next day.
The biweekly express will be operated via Arakkonam, Renigunta, Cuddapah, Guntakal, Ballari, Hosepet and Gadag.
The new train is expected to fulfill one of the long-pending demands of rail passengers from northern districts of Karnataka to have direct night train to Chennai. Besides providing connectivity to Ballari,
Gadag and Hosepet from Chennai, the train is also expected to benefit the passengers heading to Guntakal as well.
Presently, the Chennai - Hubbali section is being catered by two weekly trains. The Chennai - Hubbali weekly express is being operated on Sundays, while Chennai - Vasco Da Gama express run on Fridays.
Both trains run via Katpadi, Jolarpettai, Krishnarajapuram, Yesvantpur, Tumakuru, Tiptur and Davangere.
Official railway sources said in-spite of huge demand for train frequency of Chennai - Hubbali weekly express could not be increased owing to track constraints. “The advance reservation for new trains
has been thrown open in IRCTC,” said sources.