To meet the growing demand from passengers, Kalaburagi MP Umesh Jadhav has urged the Central Railway Division to announce a new train from Kalaburagi to Bengaluru.
Participating in a Divisional Committee meeting of Members of Parliament of Pune and Solapur divisions through video conferencing here on Tuesday, Mr. Jadhav urged the General Manager of Central Railway to start a new train from Kalaburagi to Bengaluru.
Expressing concern over the authorities concerned not utilising the pitline in Kalaburagi, he said that only one train, Kalaburagi to Hyderabad, is getting primary maintenance at the newly constructed pitline in Kalaburagi. Though the utilisation of this train was more than 73% before the pandemic, this train has not been re-started yet, while many other zones have re-started trains that have even less than 20% to 30% utilisation.
Officials said that the Kalaburagi-Hyderabad train was cancelled by the Railway Board due to very little occupancy.
Mr. Jadhav also sought re-starting the Diesel Electric Multiple Unit (DEMU) train between Solapur and Guntakal, which was cancelled during the pandemic. Expressing displeasure over the delay in announcing the extension of the Secunderabad-Chittapur train till Kalaburagi, he said that though the Railway Board and South Central Railway approved its extension till Kalaburagi in July 2021, it has not been extended till Kalaburagi due to non-availability of trained loco pilots in the Solapur Railway Division.
He also demanded re-starting the second pitline project (towards Solapur-end), which has already been approved. He noted that tender was once called for but later cancelled.
The demands also included two more lifts on platform No 1, a new waiting room on platform No 4 and upgradation ofthe Kalaburagi Railway Station.
