MYSURU: Regular train commuters on the Bengaluru-Mysuru route have some good news. The much popular Mainline Electric Multiple Unit (MEMU) train between the two cities has been converted into a daily service and it will operate six days a week.
Popular owing to its low fare, the train currently runs four days a week. According to a communique from South Western Railway (SWR), the timings of the train have also been changed.
According to railway officials, the changes will come into effect from July 29, and an inaugural run will be symbolically flagged off from Mysuru on July 27.
According to the new schedule, the train Bengaluru KSR - Mysuru - Bengaluru KSR (06575/06576) will leave Bengaluru at 5.20 in the evening and reach Mysuru city at 8.20 pm. In the return direction, the train will leave Mysuru city at 8.30 pm and arrive at KSR Bengaluru at 11.20 pm.
Currently, the train leaves at 7.50 pm from Bengaluru and reaches Mysuru at 10.40 pm. In the return direction, it leaves Mysuru at 11.05 pm and reaches Bengaluru 1.50 am. To facilitate the scheduled change, the KSR Bengaluru-Ramanagara-KSR Bengaluru train, which presently runs on Monday and Tuesday, will be temporarily cancelled. The MEMU between Mysuru and Bengaluru originally came into being after extention of the Ramanagara MEMU.
With stops at stations like Pandavapura, Srirangapatna and Nagahalli as well as Mandya, Maddur, Channapatna, Bidadi and Kengeri, the train is availed by many commuters shuttling between smaller towns. Mysuru-Kodagu MP Pratap Simha had raised the issue with Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal last month.
Shekhar, a regular passenger, said the changes in timings will be a boon. He, however, added that if the train was extended to Chamarajanagar, it would have benefitted many more.
Additional general compartment
According to a communique from the SWR, the Mysuru-Dharwad Express (17302) as well as Mysuru-Bagalkot Basava Express (17307) will get one additional general compartment each. With this, the trains will have a total of eight general coaches.