Suburban trains to Devanahalli soon

Suburban trains to Devanahalli soon
S Lalitha, Bangalore, Apr 1, DH News Service:

Commuters to Electronic City and air passengers will heave a sigh of relief as suburban train services to Hosur and Devanahalli are set to start within a fortnight.

The timings and routes for the Yeshwanthpur-Hosur and the Yeshwanthpur-Devanahalli sectors have been finalised, but operations are expected to start after April 6 when the model code of conduct for the just-concluded BMMP polls is no longer applicable.

According to top Railway sources, a passenger train with five coaches, which will run two daily trips from Yeshwanthpur to Hosur, is ready. The timings for the Yeshwanthpur-Devanahalli up-down service will be fixed between the time the train to Hosur departs and arrives Yeshwanthpur.

“Each coach can seat a maximum of 110 passengers. So, over 500 passengers can commute on each trip,” said an official, adding that the number of coaches can be increased depending on demand.

Operations on the two routes were to begin March-end but the launch was delayed because electrification of the track between Yeshwanthpur and Hosur needed completion. The Yeshwanthpur-Devanahalli route is electrified, but only up to Yelahanka. A decision was therefore taken to run diesel-powered engines as are prevalent in Chennai and Mumbai, sources said.

Train timings
Before terminating in Hosur, the train from Yeshwanthpur would stop at Hebbal, Banaswadi, Carmelaram, Heelalige and Anekal stations. The same stops would hold good on the return trip.

“Heelalige station is located at a distane of 1 km from Electronic City and it would prove enormously useful for IT professionals there,” sources said.

The first train to Hosur will depart Yeshwanthpur at 6.30 am and its scheduled time of arrival at Hosur is 8 am. On its return trip, the train will leave Hosur at 8.15 am and reach Yeshwanthpur by 9. 45 am.

The same train would leave Yeshwantpur for Devanahalli at 10.40 a.m. It would stop at Yelahanka, Bettahalsoor and Dodjala before reaching Devanahalli by 12 noon. On its return trip, it will leave Devanahalli at 1.15 pm and arrive at Yeshwanthpur at 2.35 pm.
The second trip from Yeshwanthpur will commence later in the afternoon at 3.35 pm and arrive at Hosur at 5.10 pm. On its way back to Yeshwanthpur, the train will depart from Hosur at 5.45 pm.