Following persistent demand from patrons, the Railways has extended the periodicity of train no. 02198/02197 Jabalpur–Comimbatore–Jabalpur Weekly Special Express till December 31.
A release from Konkan Railway Corporation here said during the Monsoon Timetable, train 02198 would leave Jabalpur at 11 a.m. on every Saturday from October 13 to October 27 to reach Coimbatore at 5 a.m. the third day. Train 02197 would leave Coimbatore at 7 p.m. every Monday from October 15 to October 29 to reach Jabalpur at 12.45 p.m the third day.
During the non-monsoon period, train 02198 would leave Jabalpur at 11 a.m. every Saturday from November 3 to December 29 to reach Coimbatore at 3.40 a.m. on the third day.
Train 02197 would leave Coimbatore every Monday at 7 p.m. from November 5 to December 31 to reach Jabalpur at 10.20 a.m. on the third day.
Overwhelming occupancy
The train, with overwhelming occupancy of passengers, had become popular in the Karnataka coast as it connected to central India as well as Tamil Nadu.
National Railway Users Consultative Council member Kunjal Venkatesh Kini, software engineer Gautam Shetty, and others had launched a campaign not only to extend the periodicity of the service, but also to make it a regular one.
The Hindu had highlighted the demand on October 3.
Mr. Shetty said the positive gesture by Railway Zones concerned — Konkan, Southern and West Central Railways — was a welcome move even as the Central Railway had opposed its extension.
He said Jabalpur MP and Madhya Pradesh BJP president Rakesh Singh took up the matter with the Railway Ministry for its extension.
According to sources in the Southern Railway, the occupancy of the train used to be 69% in 2 Tier-AC, 116% in 3 Tier-AC and 155.7% in Second Sleeper Class.
Mr. Kini said he would urge the Railway Ministry to make the service permanent.
