While most KSRTC bus commuters stayed indoors or used private transport to reach their destinations in view of the strike by KSRTC Staff and Workers Federation on Monday, the number of passengers travelling by trains too reported a marked decline in Mysuru.
Contrary to expectations that the number of train passengers will surge due to the strike, sources in the railway station in Mysuru said the number of outbound passengers from Mysuru had dipped. “We had sold a total of 9,114 tickets for about 15 trains that left Mysuru by 1.30 p.m. on Monday. This is significantly lower than the normal number of tickets sold for trains leaving Mysuru on a Monday. By 1.30 p.m., we would have normally sold around 12,000 to 13,000 tickets,” the source said.
The 15 trains that had left Mysuru by 1.30 pm included the trains leaving towards Bengaluru, Hassan and Nanjangud. Roughly, 25,000 tickets are sold from Mysuru railway station every day. “By the end of the day today, we may barely reach 19,000 to 20,000 tickets”, the source added. Sources have attributed the dip in train passengers departing out of Mysuru to the KSRTC strike. “Passengers may have cancelled their plans to travel in view of the strike. The reasons could also include the absence of connecting travel by KSRTC bus elsewhere. ”, the source added.Meanwhile, Senior Divisional Commercial Manager of South Western Railway, Mysuru, K. Anil Kumar said Tipu Express operating between Mysuru and Bengaluru was provided with three additional stoppages in view of the KSRTC strike.
Normally, Tipu Express stops only at Mandya. But, the train was provided with additional stoppages at Ramanagaram, Channapatna and Kengeri, he added.
