With this, a longstanding demand of stakeholders will become reality
A longstanding demand of stakeholders to link the tourism centre of Mysore with the World Heritage site of Hampi will become a reality with the new railway timetable coming into force from Monday.
The extension of the Hubli-Bangalore City Hampi Express to Mysore was announced in the Railway Budget and it now finds a place in the revised railway timetable which will be effective from July 1.
Sources in the Railways told The Hindu that for a few days the train would run as a special with a separate number before it is officially flagged off as Mysore-Hubli Hampi Express in due course.
Stakeholders in the tourism sector, including the Mysore Chamber of Commerce and Industry, had strongly pitched for a special train connecting the two centres to give a thrust to tourism, and it has now materialised.
As per the revised timetable, Hubli-Mysore Hampi Daily Express will depart from Hubli at 6 p.m., reach Bangalore at 6.10 a.m. the following day, depart at 6.30 a.m. and arrive in Mysore at 9.40 a.m. In the return direction, the train will depart from Mysore at 6.15 p.m., reach Bangalore at 9.50 p.m., depart at 10 p.m. and reach Hubli at 11 a.m. the next day.
In addition, Solapur-Yeshwantpur Express will run up to Mysore and the date of extension will be announced latter while the Bagalkot-Yeshwantpur Basava Express will also become operational from the city.
Similarly, Bangalore City-Darbhanga Bagmati Weekly Express has also been extended to Mysore. The train will depart from Darbhanga on Tuesdays at 4.15 p.m. and reach Mysore at 11.45 p.m. on Thursdays. In the return direction, the train will depart from Mysore at 7.20 a.m. on Saturdays and reach Darbhanga at 2.15 p.m. on Mondays. The primary maintenance for the express train will be done at Darbhanga and secondary maintenance at Mysore after the extension.
The Mysore-Shimoga Town Passenger will be extended up to Talguppa. The train will depart from Mysore at 1 p.m. and arrive at Talaguppa at 10.15 p.m. on the same day. In the return direction, it will depart from Talaguppa at 5 a.m. and reach Mysore at 2.10 p.m.
Revised timings
Bangalore City-Mysore Rajya Rani Express (train number 16558) will depart from Bangalore at 10.10 a.m. instead of 8.15 a.m. and reach Mysore at 1.50 a.m. instead of 11.15 a.m.
In the return direction, Mysore-Bangalore City Rajya Rani Express (no.16557) will depart from Mysore at 2.25 p.m. instead of 4.25 p.m. and reach Bangalore at 5.10 p.m. instead of 7.20 p.m.
Mysore-Yeshwantpur-Mysore Malgudi Express will run with the revised train number and timing. Accordingly, train no.16023 Mysore-Yeshwantpur Malgudi Express will depart from Mysore at 8.15 a.m. instead of 12 p.m. and reach Yeshwantpur at 11.30 a.m. instead of 3.40 p.m. In the return direction, train no. 16024 Yeshwantpur-Mysore Malgudi Express will depart from Yeshwantpur at 1.30 p.m. instead of 11.20 a.m. and reach Mysore at 5 p.m. instead of 2.50 p.m.
Yeshwantpur-Mysore Special (no. 06560) will depart from Yeshwantpur at 7.55 a.m. and arrive in Mysore at 11.15 a.m. In the return direction, train no. 06559 Mysore-Yeshwantpur Special will depart Mysore at 3.30 p.m. and reach Bangalore City at 6.30 p.m. and reach Yeshwantpur at 7.15 p.m.
Yeshwantpur-Mysore Special (no. 07308) will depart from Yeshwantpur at 10.15 a.m. and arrive in Mysore at 1.50 p.m. In the return direction, Mysore-Yeshwantpur Special (no. 07307) will depart from Mysore at 1.30 p.m. reach Yeshwantpur at 5.10 p.m.
Direct Mysore-Hampi rail link sought:
Stakeholders have sought a direct rail link between Mysore and Hampi to boost tourism in south and central Karnataka region.
According to them, the rail link via major commercial centres such as Arsikere (in Hassan district) and Bellary would also give an impetus to trade in the region.
This has been taken up by members of the Mysore Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Karnataka State Railway Action Committee and the Bellary Railway Action Committee, who have submitted a memorandum addressed to Minister for Railways Dinesh Trivedi, Minister of State for Railways K.M. Muniyappa, and senior Railway officials in this regard. The MCCI representatives met here on Tuesday and discussed the imperatives of a direct rail link as a precursor to improving trade and tourism in the region.
The MCCI pointed out that both Mysore and Hampi were world-renowned tourist places, and yet there was no direct train service between the two places, putting tourists to great inconvenience.
The only way for tourists and people to commute from Hampi from Mysore was via Bangalore (Hampi Express). The MCCI said the new train between Mysore and Hampi could operate via Hassan and Bellary, which would also provide connectivity to other important towns en route such as Arsikere, Chickjajur and Rayadurga.
Another benefit of introducing such a train was direct connectivity to Hassan, which was the base for Belur-Halebid and Shravanabelagola, both major tourist destinations. Also, the rock fort in Chitradurga could also be developed as a tourist spot.
The memorandum pointed out that a broad-gauge line of 190 km was laid between Bellary-Rayadurga and Chitradurga-Chikjajur about 10 years ago. But the authorities were operating only two passenger trains, which highlights the negligence of the Railways in developing the backward regions of the State. The stakeholders urged the Minister to introduce a daily night service connecting Hampi and Mysore via Bellary-Rayadurga-Chitradurga-Chikjajur-Arsikere and Hassan. It also called for simultaneous departure of another rake of the same train from Mysore to Hampi with AC and sleeper coaches for the benefit of domestic and international tourists as well as local residents.
It was pointed out that the demand for a train service along the suggested route was made several times in the past, but to no avail.
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