Tatka spl train to clear rush for LS election

Bowing to the demand of passengers, the Railways has decided to operate a Tatkal Special Train between Yeshwantpur and Karwar and vice versa on April 17 and 18.

A release from Konkan Railway Corporation (KRC) stated that South Western Railway (SWR) in coordination with Southern and Konkan Railways had decided to operate train services between Yeshwantpur-Karwar-Yeshwantpur to clear extra rush during the Lok Sabha polls.

Jai Bhargava Balaga, an NGO from Goa, had written to the Chief Electoral Officer on directing the SWR to operate a special train between Bengaluru and the Coast on the eve of the polling to help hundreds of people residing in Bengaluru to cast their vote at polling booths in the coastal districts. The CEO in turn had asked the SWR to examine the grievance.

SWR submitted a proposal to the Railway Board and got the approval to operate the Tatkal Special train.

Train No 06557 Yeshwantpur Junction - Karwar Tatkal Special will depart from Yeshwantpur Junction at 22.00 hrs on April 17 (Wednesday) and will reach Karwar at 15.30 hrs the next day. Train No 06558 Karwar – Yeshwantpur Junction Tatkal Special will depart from Karwar at 18.00 hrs on April 18 (Thursday) and will reach Yeshwantpur Junction at 10.35 hrs the next day.

Train will halt at Chikkabanavar, Nelamangala, Kunigal, B G Nagar, Channarayapata, Hassan, Sakleshpur, Subrahmanya Road, Yedamangala, Kabaka Puttur, Bantwal, Mangaluru Junction, Surathkal, Mulki, Udupi, Barkur, Kundapura, Mookambika Road Byndoor, Bhatkal, Murdeshwar, Honnavar, Kumta, Gokarna Road and Ankola Stations.

Composition

The train will have four 3-Tier AC coaches, 12 Sleeper class coaches and two luggage-cum-brake vans.

Ajith Shetty Kiradi from Jai Bhargava Balaga thanked Chief Electoral Officer Karnataka, SWR, Southern and Konkan Railways for facilitating the ‘Election Special’ train.

Shetty said it was a victory of the common man against the ‘bus mafia’ that fleeces passengers during festival season. With just five days left for polling, the fares of private buses plying from Bengaluru to Mangaluru was priced
Rs 3,000 onwards.

Shetty urged people to use the facility in large numbers.