Passengers fear loss of seats in extended Solapur Express

HUBBALLI: A recent decision by

railway authorities

has left regular train travellers between

Kalaburagi

and Bengaluru worried.

The railways has extended the Solapur-Yesjwantpur Express to

Hassan

, effective from June 13. Travellers from the region say the train will only be a ‘namesake’ from Wednesday as they fear that seats to Bengaluru will be cut drastically due to the extension of the train to Hassan.

The railways has decided to extend the run of train number 22133/22134 Solapur - Yesvantpur -

Solapur Express

(Daily) up to Hassan with a new train number 11311/11312 Solapur - Hassan - Solapur Express (Daily).

Hyderabad Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industry former president Umakanth Nigudgi told TOI that though Udyan Express, Basava Express, Nagarcoil Express and Karnataka Express run via Kalaburagi to Bengaluru, the Solapur-Yeshwantpur Express is more convenient as it departs Kalaburagi at 9.05pm hours and arrives in Yeshwantpur at 7.10am the next day. From Yeshwantpur it departs at 8:50pm and arrives in Kalaburagi at 6:25am which is also convenient,” he said.

“The schedule of some trains is not convenient as they arrive and depart at midnight or at some other time. Now, the only train which was convenient will not be convenient anymore as more seats will be blocked by Hassan passengers,” added Nigudgi.

Activists say that if passengers from Hassan book tickets to any of the halt stations, including Mantralayam, Kalaburagi passengers will be deprived of seats to Bengaluru or to Kalaburagi from Bengaluru as the seats will be blocked.

However, South Western Railway deputy general manager E Vijaya said that there will not be any change in the availability of seats for Kalaburagi passengers. “The train has only been extended. Hence, there is no fear of losing seats to Bengaluru from Kalaburagi,” she said.

Extended schedule

Train No.11311 Solapur - Hassan Express (Daily) will leave Solapur at 7:20pm and arrive in Hassan at 11:25am the next day. There is no change in halts between Solapur and Yeshwantpur. The train will arrive/depart at Yeshwantpur at 7:10am/7:40am, Kunigal at 8:49am/8:50am, Yediyuru at 9.05am/09.06am, B G Nagar at 9:19/9:20am and Shravanabelagola at 9:58/09:59am.

Train No.11312 Hassan - Solapur Express (Daily) will leave Hassan at 16:10 hours and arrive at Solapur at 8:40am the next day. However, there is no change in halts between Yeshwantpur and Solapur.


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