Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)
Mangaluru, Mar 20: A new inter city express train between Bengaluru and Hassan will be pressed into service with effect from March 26 this year. This train will further run to the city from Hassan. Therefore, people bound for Bengaluru from the city and vice versa will be able to save on travel time by three to four hours.
The officials of south west railway division have been making arrangements to run this train beginning Sunday next. The train is set to be flagged off by union railway minister, Suresh Prabhu.
This inter city express will start at Hassan at 6.15 am and reach Yashwantpur at 9 am. On its return journey, it will leave Bengaluru at 6.15 pm and reach Hassan at 9 pm.
The opening of the railway line via Shravanabelagola, which was pending since the last many years on account of various reasons, opens up possibility of inflow of tourists to Shravanabelagola, which is set to celebrate Mahamastakabhisheka of Baghubali next year. As a huge inflow of tourists from north India is expected then, special trains may be run to Shravanabelagola on that occasion.
The railway line project, which was approved in 1996-97 when H D Deve Gowda was the Prime Minister, suffered as Gowda had to vacate the seat within a few months thereafter. The project initially suffered from want of funds. With the laying of new tracks between Yashwantpur and Chikkabanavara, trains will now be able to run directly between Hassan and Bengaluru instead of taking the circuitous route as in the past. Earlier, trains between the city and Bengaluru were taking Mysuru route, which involved longer distance and need to change the engine.
The railway officials also plan to make the train that moves between Yashwantpur and city to run via Mysuru to Hassan to run directly without touching Mysuru soon, for the convenience of passengers.
The passenger train between Bengaluru and Hassan will leavel Yashwantpur at 7.30 am and reach Hassan at 10.30 am. On its return journey, it will leave at 12 noon and reach Yashwaput at 3.30 pm.
Kudla Express will run between Yashwantpur and the city on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The train starts from Yashwantpur at 7 am and reach Hassan at 9.45 am. It will reach the city at 4 pm. The train, on its return journeys on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, leaves the city at 10.50 am and reach Yashwantpur at 7.50 pm.