Hubballi: Passengers have suggested an alternative plan for the proposed Bengaluru-Mumbai Vande Bharat sleeper, seeking services three days a week via Hubballi and three via Kalaburagi. They have also sought faster completion of the Tumakuru-Davanagere and Dharwad-Kittur-Belagavi railway lines to improve connectivity and reduce travel time.While the Kalaburagi route takes under 16 hours, the Hubballi route takes over 20 hours due to detours. Passengers said eliminating these bottlenecks could substantially shorten the journey.Belagavi activist Ashok Chandargi said the Londa detour has long affected Belagavi’s connectivity with Hubballi-Dharwad, Bengaluru and Mumbai. He said 90% of land acquisition for the Dharwad-Kittur-Belagavi line was reportedly completed in Belagavi district, but acquisition remained pending in Dharwad. He urged elected representatives, particularly Union minister Pralhad Joshi, to resolve the hurdles.Rohit Jain, general secretary of the SWR Passengers Committee, Davanagere, said the Davanagere-Tumakuru line would cut the distance by 70km and the Dharwad-Kittur-Belagavi line by 50km. Only around 40% of the existing route permits speeds of 110kmph, while trains generally operate at 80-90kmph, he said. Raising the maximum speed to 130kmph could bring Bengaluru-Mumbai travel time down to 15 hours.Jain said the Hubballi route would serve Tumakuru, Davanagere, Haveri, Dharwad and Belagavi, and urged MPs to jointly push for better rail connectivity.Sunil Kulkarni, president of Kalyana Karnataka Grahakara Vedike, said the Kalaburagi route was technically more feasible as detours at Arsikere and Londa added around five hours to the Hubballi route. The Kalaburagi alignment cuts the distance by more than 100km, he said.SWR chief public relations officer Manjunath Kanamadi said work on the Tumakuru-Davanagere line was progressing as targeted, while land for the Dharwad-Kittur-Belagavi line was yet to be handed over by the state govt. Decisions on Vande Bharat sleeper routes, stops and timings would be taken by the Railway Board.
About The Author
