The Hassan-Yeshwantpur intercity express train, on its first regular service on Monday, saw a good response. The train was almost packed and the departure was delayed by 15 minutes as the railway staff had difficulty in handling the crowd at the ticket counter.
This train was first announced in 1996 when H.D. Deve Gowda was Prime Minister.
Everyday, hundreds of people travel to Bengaluru from Hassan. Considering the number of passengers, the Hassan division of Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) had introduced non-stop buses at every half-an-hour in the mornings. With the introduction of the train services, the KSRTC buses saw a poor response on the first day.
The officials of the corporation are studying the impact of the train services on the bus service.
Naveen Kumar, a resident of Hassan, “We are glad that now Hassan is connected to Bengaluru through a railway line. And, the timing of the intercity train is apt. Many people can travel by the morning train and return by evening. We have been waiting for this service for two decades,” he said.
The passengers had difficulty in getting tickets as only two counters were open on the day. The timing of the inter-city express train clashes with that of the Arsikere-Mysuru train. “As passengers of two trains have to wait in queue for tickets, it is difficult to manage the staff. The officers should open more counters and increase the number of ticket vending machines,” said Prakash, also a passenger.
The train journey to the State capital in the superfast express costs ₹85 and would be ₹100 in case of reservation.
“The bus fare is ₹192 (₹200 for non-stop buses). The train journey works out cheaper than the bus and takes a lesser amount of time. The KSRTC will definitely see the impact on its revenue with the introduction of this train,” opined Prashanth, another passenger.