Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu flagged off the Gulbarga-Hyderabad Inter-city Express through a video link from the Secunderabad Railway Station on Monday. He was joined by Medical Education Minister Sharanprakash Patil at the Gulbarga Railway Station.
The same train was inaugurated without any official function in February. But the service was discontinued after a month owing to lack of response from passengers. Major reasons for this were the unsuitable departure timing of the train from the Gulbarga and Hyderabad railway stations and the decision by the Railways not to provide halts at Chittapur, Malkhed and Sedam stations.
No official reason was given for the flagging of the train for the second time. The schedule of the train and halts remain the same. Senior officials did not give any reason for not changing them.
Dr. Patil said that the timing should be changed to suit the requirement of passengers and the Railways should provide halts at Chittapur, Malkhed and Sedam stations. Basavaraj Patil Sedam, MP, said that he had discussed the issue with the Railway Minister. He also demanded that the Railway Ministry start the work of setting up a railway divisional headquarters in Kalaburagi.
The former Minister Qamarul Islam expressed his happiness over the resumption of the train and wanted more halts and a change in the timing.
The train would start at 10.15 a.m. in Kalaburagi and reach Hyderabad at 2.50 p.m. While returning, the train will leave Hyderabad at 4 p.m. and reach Kalaburagi at 9 p.m.
The train will stop at Shahabad, Wadi, Tandur, Vikarabad, and Lingampally.
This train will have one AC chair car, and 10 coaches of second class reserved coaches.
Divisional Railway Manager of Central Railways at Solapur Ajai Kumar Dubey was present.
The train was inaugurated in February, but the service was discontinued
