2 new train services flagged off

Railway Minister Mallikarjun Kharge flagged off Hubli-Secunderabad-Hubli Tri-weekly Express and Hubli-Lokamanya Tilak Terminus (Mumbai)-Hubli Weekly Express trains at a function on the railway station premises here on Wednesday.

With the introduction of the trains (17319/17320 Hubli-Secunderabad-Hubli tri-weekly Express), the long-pending demands for an additional train from Hubli to Secunderabad region and direct train link between Hubli and Gulbarga via Gadag, Bagalkot, Bijapur, Wadi and Gulbarga, have materialised. Earlier, passengers from Hubli to Gulbarga had to change the train at Yadgir or Hutagi. Hubli-Mumbai Weekly Express train was announced in the Railway budget 2013, as there was a demand for an overnight train to Mumbai, originating from Hubli. Now, train nos 17317/17318 Hubli-Lokamanya Tilak Terminus-Hubli Weekly Express has been introduced.

Speaking before flagging off the trains, Kharge said that the Karnataka government has to provide Rs 650 crore matching grants and 14,659 acres of land for the railway projects in the State. So far, the State government has released only Rs 92 crore and allocated 3,899 acres.