File image of a train.
Credit: DH File Photo
Bengaluru: The Railway Board has approved the operation of a special train between Bengaluru and Rishikesh to cater to increased passenger demand.
According to the South Western Railway (SWR), this will be the first direct rail connectivity between Bengaluru and Uttarakhand.
Rishikesh, located in the foothills of the Himalayas along the banks of the Ganga, is known as the Yoga Capital of the World, and attracts pilgrims, spiritual seekers and tourists from around the globe, it added.
Train number 06597 Yeshwantpur-Rishikesh Express Special will depart from Yeshwantpur at 7 am on June 19, 26 and July 3, and reach Rishikesh at 10.20 am on Saturdays.
In the return direction, train number 06598 Rishikesh-Yeshwantpur Express Special will depart from Rishikesh at 5.55 pm on June 21, 28 and July 5, and arrive at Yeshwantpur at 7.45 pm on Mondays.
The train will have stoppages at Yelahanka, Hindupur, Dharmavaram, Anantapur, Dhone, Kurnool City, Kacheguda, Kazipet, Balharshah, Nagpur, Bhopal, Bina, Jhansi, Gwalior, Agra Cantonment, Mathura, Hazrat Nizamuddin, Ghaziabad, Meerut City, Muzaffarnagar, Tapri, Roorkee and Haridwar Junction in both directions, the SWR added.