The introduction of a weekly four-day special train between Kochuveli and Bangalore with effect from Friday has come as a gift to Coimbatore as it provides an ideal overnight train connectivity for Coimbatore with Kochuveli (satellite station for Thiruvananthapuram) and an additional day connectivity with Bangalore.
In the Union Railway Budget, it was originally announced that Train No. 16315/16316 between Bangalore and Kochuveli tri-weekly would be made a daily train with revised timings. This was expected to provide the much required convenient overnight connectivity for Coimbatore with Kochuveli and Bangalore.
Following objections to the revision of its timings, the train continues to run as a tri-weekly with revised timings.
The revised timings are now being given effect to the weekly four-day special being operated from August 31 to October 1.
Train No 16315 now leaves Bangalore City at 5.15 p.m. and reaches Coimbatore at 00.15 a.m. and after a five-minute halt, reaches Kochuveli at 9.25 a.m.
In the return direction, it leaves Kochuveli at 06.05 p.m. and reaches Coimbatore at 00.55 a.m. and after a five-minute halt, it reaches Bangalore at 8.35 p.m.
In the absence of the revision of timings and conversion of the train into a daily service, the railway has introduced a weekly four-day special between Kochuveli and Bangalore with a convenient timing. The service will be on days when there is no service of 16315 and 16316, thus providing daily connectivity between two destinations via Coimbatore.
The weekly special train No. 06315 will leave Bangalore City Junction on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays and reach Kochuveli the next day at 06.05 a.m. The train will leave Bangalore at 2.15 p.m., reach Coimbatore at 9.10 p.m. depart at 9.15 p.m. and reach Kochuveli at 06.05 a.m.
In the return direction, the weekly special train number 06316 will leave Kochuveli on Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 9.20 p.m. reach Coimbatore at 5.30 a.m. and reach Bangalore at 12.45 p.m.
This train provides a convenient overnight connectivity to Thiruvananthapuram on one side and on the other, it provides a convenient daytime connectivity with Bangalore with a service from Coimbatore at 5.30 a.m. and from Bangalore at 2.15 p.m.
This becomes an additional daytime connectivity besides the Ernakulam – Bangalore Intercity Express and Kurla Express from Coimbatore side.
The train while travelling in Tamil Nadu will stop at Coimbatore, Erode, Salem and Bangalore City. Tirupur is missing in the list of halts approved by the Railways.
Coimbatore Railway Struggle Committee feels that if well patronised, as done in the case of the weekly special trains, Railways would consider turning this into a permanent train.
Patronage
Rail activist S. Ravi pointed out that Onam special trains from Chennai to Kochuveli and Yeswantpur (satellite station for Bangalore) had overwhelming patronage to and from Coimbatore, filling almost 300 and 140 berths, respectively, in every service.
