The Railway Minister, Ashwini Vaishnaw, has confirmed that a proposed superfast train will run between Bengaluru and Mumbai via Hubballi. The journey, which earlier used to take 23 hours, will now be reduced to 18 hours.
Minister Vaishnaw informed that the new train service is planned through Davangere, Hubballi, and Belagavi, in a letter to Dharwad MP and Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, according to a report by Deccan Herald (DH).
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The report further mentioned that citizens have been demanding a train passing through Hubballi for over a decade so that the route can cover a larger part of Karnataka.
Currently, there is only one dedicated train, the Udyan Express, which runs between Bengaluru and Mumbai, taking approximately 23 hours. This train is usually crowded, and passengers often have to book tickets well in advance.
The upcoming train is likely to start and end its journey at Sir M. Visvesvaraya Terminal (SMVT) in Bengaluru and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) in Mumbai, a DH report quoted Bangalore Central MP P. C. Mohan as saying.
“Travel time will be 18 hours or less, on par with bus journeys. It will have fewer stops, most likely at Tumakuru, Davangere, Hubballi, and Belagavi within Karnataka,” he was further quoted as saying in the same report.
Reportedly, the route through Hubballi covers about 1,227 kilometres, which is slightly longer than the 1,136-kilometre Guntakal route. However, railway officials are confident of completing the journey in around 18 hours.
According to Ashutosh Kumar Singh, Divisional Railway Manager, Bengaluru, the formal notification for the new service is expected soon. He said that the starting station in Bengaluru has not yet been finalised.
Mr. Singh also revealed that the railways are working on plans to introduce new dedicated trains from Bengaluru to Delhi and Patna, considering the growing number of passengers on existing special services.
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