Chorus for additional Tiruchy-Bengaluru service grows after train from Karaikal announced
TIRUCHY: Southern Railway's announcement of operating a daily unreserved train between Karaikal and Bengaluru from July 25 has led to Tiruchy residents, once again, reviving their long-pending demand - a train service between the city and Bengaluru. The demand has now grown louder because the Karaikal-Bengaluru train will not be passing through Tiruchy.
At present, there is only one daily service between Tiruchy and Bengaluru. Considering the demand, the railway had run a special train between Yeswantpur (Bengaluru) and Tiruchy from December 29, 2018 to January 13, 2019.
Though passengers hoped that the success of the service would compel the railway to allot an additional train to Bengaluru, the authorities ignored the demand. In the later years, the Covid-19 pandemic made the railway put the demand on the back-burner.
Against this backdrop the Southern Railway announced a daily train service between Bengaluru and Karaikal.
According to the railway, Bengaluru-Karaikal Unreserved Express (Train No 16529 SMVT) will leave SMVT Bengaluru station (Baiyappanahalli) at 07.30 am and reach Karaikal at 10.35 pm. The train will start plying from July 25. The return train (Train No.16530) from Karaikal will start at 5.30 am and reach SMVT Bengaluru at 9:30 pm.
This train will start operation from July 26. S Pushpavanam, Secretary of Consumer Protection Council, Tamil Nadu, said, "From 1960, there has been only one daily service between Tiruchy and Bengaluru. Though we had several times demanded an additional train, the authorities ignored it. The absence of adequate trains has helped omni bus services."
"At present, about nine omni buses are running between Tiruchy and Bengaluru. Considering the potential, the railway should allot an additional train to Bengaluru. We will raise this demand with the railway minister," he said.
At present, there are two flights operating between Tiruchy and Bengaluru and a person would have to spend more than *Rs 4,000 per ticket.
Similarly, bus operators are charging *Rs 700 to Rs 1,000 for a ticket to Bengaluru. On the other hand, the railway charges *Rs 255 for a ticket in sleeper class, *Rs 695 for AC three-tier, and *Rs 985 for AC two-tier between Tiruchy and Bengaluru Cantonment. An additional train to Bengaluru is expected to help those working there.
"The train leaving Tiruchy at 8.35 pm reaches Bengaluru Cantonment at 5 am. Thus it is very convenient for working professionals. However, the train is always crowded. So, more number of IT professionals are depending on omni bus services. If the railway allots an additional train on the route, it would be of great help to many," said N Sitaraman, a city resident and software professional working in Bengaluru.
Residents also pointed to the potential of the Tiruchy-Bengaluru train service. "Every day, about 6,000 passengers are travelling one way by train, buses, and private vehicles from Tiruchy to Bengaluru. Similarly, several pilgrims from Bengaluru are coming to Tiruchy for visiting Velakanni and Navagraha temples," said Achhar Singh who conducted a study on traffic between Tiruchy and Bengaluru. Sources said officials are considering the request.
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