BENGALURU: In a move set to offer massive relief to government officials, garment workers and students commuting between Bengaluru and Tumakuru, three pairs of Mainline Electric Multiple Unit (MEMU) trains are set to run between the two cities from Friday (April 8).
MEMUs will have washrooms and a quicker commute between the destinations as compared to regular trains. There was a vociferous demand for the same from the hundreds of people who travel almost daily between them.
The electrification on this 64 route km (RKM) stretch was completed and commissioned on October 29, 2021. It is part of the Chikbanavar-Hubballi electrification project.
"The daily MEMU between Bengaluru City and Tumakuru (06575/06576) is being introduced for the first time. The need for MEMU trains in this section had been a long pending demand from the commuters. We hope they will have good patronage," said Chief Public Relations Officer, South Western Railway, Aneesh Hegde. It will leave Tumakuru at 11.15 am and arrive at KSR at 1.25 pm. It will depart from KSR at 1.50 pm and arrive at Tumakuru at 3.40 pm.
In addition to that, two existing 8-Car Diesel Electric Multiple Unit trains between Yesvantpur and Tumakuru will be converted to 16-car MEMU.
One of these train timing (Train no. 06572) alone in this has been revised and it will depart from Tumakuru at 3.50 pm and will arrive at Bengaluru City at 5.25 pm. Additionally, Arsikere-Bengaluru 8-car DEMU will be converted into 17-coach passenger train.
The move has been welcomed by commuters. Secretary of Tumakuru Commuters Forum Karnam Ramesh told TNIE, "While a passenger train takes 85 minutes and a diesel train takes 80 minutes, the MEMU train will take only 70 minutes. The time savings matters much to regular commuters," he said.
A Member of Tumakuru Development Forum said, "MEMU trains will ensure that punctuality will be maintained. Vendors would be able to bring their agri-products from Tumakuru and sell it at Bengaluru and return within half-a-day. It will be a boost to rural economy apart from helping out government officials and workers in industries."
12 trains that were running before COVID are now set to be restored. They are the train pairs between KSR and CPT passenger (06581/06582, from April 8), KSR and Hassan DEMU (06583/06584, from April 8) KSR and Marikuppam (01775/01772, Apr 9/10), Marikuppam and Baiyappanahalli (01778/01779, Apr 9) as well as Banaswadi and Marikuppam (01780/01782).
The MEMU between Banaswadi and KSR (01773, Apr 10) and KSR and Marikuppam (01774, Apr 8) too will be restored.