Representative image showing trains.
Credit: PTI Photo
Bengaluru: The railways has begun operating three new weekly trains connecting Bengaluru to poll-bound West Bengal.
Starting January 21, train number 16523 departs from SMVT Bengaluru every Wednesday at 10.15 am and reaches Balurghat at 4.15 am on Fridays.
In the return direction, train number 16524 leaves Balurghat every Saturday at 5.15 am and arrives at SMVT Bengaluru at 3 am on Mondays.
Starting January 22, train number 16223 departs from SMVT Bengaluru every Thursday at 1.50 pm and reaches Radhikapur at 12.45 pm on Saturdays.
In the return direction, train number 16224 leaves Radhikapur every Sunday at 9.30 pm and arrives at SMVT Bengaluru at 8.45 pm on Tuesdays.
Starting January 24, train number 16597/98 departs from SMVT Bengaluru at 8.50 am every Saturday and reaches Alipurduar Junction at 10.25 am on Mondays.
In the return direction, train number 16598 leaves Alipurduar Junction at 10.25 om every Monday to arrive at SMVT Bengaluruat 3 am on Thursdays.
The train services run with 22 coaches and have scheduled stoppages at KR Puram and Bangarapet in Karnataka.
They are aimed at benefiting students, traders and tourists by providing a direct rail link between southern and eastern India across Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal, according to the South Western Railway (SWR).