In what is the fourth Mainline Electric Multiple Unit (MEMU) train between Mysuru and Bengaluru, the South Western Railway (SWR) on Monday introduced daily train service from Yehalanka to Mysuru and back.
The train from Bengaluru starts at 2:30 am in the morning from Yehalanka and reaches Mysuru at 5:35 am. The train stops at Yeshwantpur, KSR Majestic, Kengeri, Mandya, Mysuru.
At a flat fare of Rs 30 per passenger, one can reach Mysuru from Bengaluru’s Yehalanka in around three hours and the child fare for the same trip is Rs 15. The trains will have a capacity to carry around 3,500 passengers at a time.
The first such train from Mysuru started on Monday while the first train from Yehalanka left on Tuesday. The Mysuru-Bengaluru train will start at 10:30 pm in the night and reach Yehalanka by 1:30 am.
Railway officials said apart from the regular passengers travelling between these cities, it is targeted at those flying out and reaching the Kempegowda International Airport from Mysuru.
The trains will have two special pink coaches reserved for women.
With this, the number of trains running between Mysuru and Bengaluru is 34. This includes six weekly trains, three bi-weekly trains, one tri-weekly train, one six-days-a-week and 23 daily trains.
Inaugurating the train, Mysuru-Kodagu MP Pratap Simha thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Rail Minister Piyush Goyal and Minister of State, Railways, Suresh Angadi.
The other three MEMU trains have stops at Krishnadevaraya Halt, Nayandahalli, Jnanabharathi Halt, Kengeri, Hejjala, Bidadi, Ketohalli Halt, Ramanagaram, Channapattana, Mandya, Pandavapura and Srirangapattana.
MEMU rakes provide an average increase in speed of 20km/hour compared to loco-hauled commuter trains pulled by a separate engine. While MEMUs are a preferred mode for suburban trains, it was not common in this part of the railway network as it was fully electrified only in 2018.
The first such train was introduced in December 2018 and proved to be a relief for daily commuters travelling from Mysuru, Mandya, Maddur and Channapattana to reach the suburban areas of Bengaluru like Nayandahalli, Kengeri and Hejjala.