New Services in The Offing After Rail Users' Meet

New Services in The Offing After Rail Users' Meet

BENGALURU: To redress the grievances aired by representatives of the public from various districts, the Bangalore Railway Division has decided upon a few new services, the extension of some routes, and a change in time of departure of one train.

These decisions were the outcomes of a Railway Users’ Consultative Committee meeting held in the city on Friday between committee members and top officials of all Railway Departments.

The departure timing of the Bangalore-Mysore passenger train from the City station will be delayed by 15 minutes. “It will depart by 7.15 pm instead of 7 pm. An announcement will be made shortly,” Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) Sanjiv Agarwal said.

New DEMU Services

The DRM told Express that two new special Diesel Electric Multiple Unit (DEMU) services may be introduced between Yeshwantpur and Ramanagaram. The proposal is for one train to leave Yeshwantpur at 3.40 pm and touch Ramanagaram at 5.50 pm with a stoppage at the City railway station enroute. In the other direction, the train will leave Ramanagaram at 6.30 pm and terminate at City at 7.50 pm. The other DEMU service is planned between the City station and Channapatna. The train will leave City at 6.35 pm and reach Channapatna at 8 pm. On return, it will leave Channapatna at 8.30 pm and touch City at 10.10 pm. “A proposal with these two services has been sent to Hubballi for approval,” he added.

Many members had asked for additional trains along the Bengaluru-Mysuru stretch between 4 pm and 7 pm to ease traffic. “The DEMU services will take traffic away from the existing trains,” Agarwal said.

A decision has also been taken to extend the existing route of a train between Yeshwantpur and Devanahalli up to Chikkaballapur and to extend Train No 56525 between City and Chikkaballapur to Kolar.

“These have been decided upon and sent for approval,” he added. 

A K Sita Ram, president of Travellers Association (Kolar) asked for the change in timing of the train from Bangalore Cantonment and Bangarpet (Train no 76507) to 1.30 pm in the interest of students, who commute to Bengaluru.

“After completion of classes around 12 noon, they end up waiting till 2.45 pm for the next train to Bangarpet,” he added. They are unable to make it to the station before 12.20 pm when a train departs.  He also called for issual of reserved tickets from Bangarpet to Mysuru station.

Suburban Trains

Senior Divisional Commercial Manager Dr Anup Dayanand Sadhu said that the Railways had informed the state government that suburban rail service for the City was not possible with the existing infrastructure.

“Only after an automatic signalling system is put in place, can line capacity be enhanced and connectivity established between City and Whitefield, Tumakuru, Yelahanka and Ramanagaram.” Additional platforms are vital to run suburban services. There is a plan to shift the pit lines from City station to Binny Mill land and L&T land so that the space can be used for additional platforms, Dr Sadhu said. 

Additional coaches and DEMUs and  Mainline Electric Multiple Unit (MEMUs) were also required, he added. DRM Sanjiv Agarwal said that RITES had sent across its proposal on rail services. “We are examining feasibility of proposals, particularly the operational part and cost factor. It will take us some time to reach a decision.”

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