The Railways has planned to extend the Dadar-Yesvantpur-Dadar Chalukya Express to Tamil Nadu and Puducherry from November.
It is the only regular train that connects Hubli, also called ‘Chota Mumbai’, to Mumbai. It is also one among three regular trains that connects Bangalore with Mumbai.
It was running from Mysore as train number 11036 every Thursday and to Mysore every Tuesday as train number 11035. As there is a demand to run a train on Coimbatore-Mumbai route, the administration is considering the demand, the sources added.
Zonal Railway Users Consultative Committee (ZRUCC) member Mahendra Singi told Express that the department was extending the train three days each to Tirunelveli and Puducherry. “However, we are urging the department to differ the decision until they extend any of the three trains, that are running between Mumbai and Kolhapur currently, to Hubli,” he added.
However, passengers have already been put into confusion as the department has stopped reservations for the train. Another Consultative Committee member and Gadag MLA Shrishailappa Bidarur said that the department should take a proper decision and start reservations with immediate effect.
Another ZRUCC member Goutam Bafna said that the train has been running fully packed. “If it is extended to any other city, it will be difficult for people of the state to get reservation,” he noted.