Hubli Division of the South Western Railway has registered an increase of 19.06 per cent in the passenger traffic till February-end when compared to the corresponding period during the previous financial year.
Speaking at the 16th Divisional Railway Users' Consultative Committee (DRUCC) meeting of the Hubli Division in Hubli on Friday, Divisional Railway Manager Adesh Sharma said that Hubli Division had carried 3.31 crore passengers up to the end of February and it was 2.78 crore during the corresponding period of the last year. He said the total earnings of Hubli Division till the end of February was Rs. 2,655.01 crore.
Congratulating the new members of DRUCC, Mr. Sharma briefed about the recent achievements in respect of improved passenger amenities and facilities provided at various railway stations in the Hubli Division till the end of February.
He said that two new trains between Yeshwanthpur and Bijapur had been introduced and for these trains, stoppages had been provided at Annigeri, Hole-Alur, Guledgudda Road, Alamatti and Basavana Bagewadi Road stations. He listed out the stoppage facilities, extension of services and other facilities extended to railway passengers.
Damodhardas R. Rathi, member of DRUCC from Bagalkot, requested the administration to extend Solapur-Gadag-Solapur Inter-City Express up to Hubli; to extend Dharwad-Gadag-Dharwad Passenger trains up to Solapur as it was announced in the Railway Budget; to change the timings of the Bagalkot-Solapur Passenger train; to provide a foot overbridge at Alamatti, Badami and Hole-Alur stations apart from an underpass facility at Alamatti station.
S. Brahmaiah of Bellary Chamber of Commerce and Industry sought the introduction of a daily Intercity Express between Hubli and Guntakal; Intercity Express between Hubli and Bangalore via Gadag, Hospet and Bellary.
Srikant S. Gureddi demanded a night express train between Solapur and Vasco-da-Gama initially as a holiday special via Gadag and Hubli.
S. Srinivas suggested the introduction of a superfast express between Bangalore and Mumbai via Hubli, Dharwad, Belgaum and Pune.
V.B. Desai sought stoppage at Khanapur for the Chalukya and the Haripriya express trains.
