BENGALURU: The much awaited Diesel Electric Multiple Unit (DEMU) train that would fit in with the general work timings of IT professionals heading towards Whitefield has been warmly welcomed by passengers on board the first run from Baiyappanahalli railway station.
Most of the passengers were at the station to board the Bengaluru City-Kuppam Passenger (11.55 am departure) or the Cantonment-Bangarpet Passenger (11.52 am departure) from here but since both those trains were rescheduled to accommodate the launch of the new service, they ended up taking this train heading along that direction.
Sheetal Viswanath, a software professional who commutes to Hoodi railway station daily from Baiyappanahalli felt the morning timing was perfect for those who work the general shift in IT firms from Baiyappanahalli and surrounding areas. “Though we have a train from Majestic in the morning, it reaches the destination late on most days. I am on the afternoon shift today but this is going to prove very convenient as it will help one reach Whitefield before 9 am,” she said.
Raj Kiran, a Chartered Accountant was delighted with the cost factor. “For just Rs10, we can reach up to Whitefield. If we take a quarterly pass, the fare will work out to just Rs 6 per day,” he said. “The huge plus point is that the huge traffic congestion witnessed on Old Madras Road in the mornings due to the IT crowd rushing towards Whitefield and ITPL will be reduced.” He also hoped that the BMTC introduces feeder buses from Whitefield railway station to ITPL like they have done in the case of a few Metro stations.
Travelling along with him was Navitha Damodaran, a company secretary. “It takes me two hours to reach Whitefield from my residence at Nayandahalli. This service will help me enormously,” she said.
V Narasimha, a research analyst at a firm in ITPL says, “It takes me one hour by cab and even more time by bus to reach Hoodi from Baiyappanahalli. This train will help me reach work in less than half the time.” During the last one year, the Bangalore Railway Div has launched 16 Memu/Demu services. This DEMU service will be replaced when MEMU trains are launched for suburban network, said a top railway official.