Hemant, Sanjeev,

Thanks for the nice report and photographs.

-Syed

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For efficient utilization (by school/college/office goers), there should be morning and evening trips from Bangalore -> Nelamangala -> Bangalore. We need to keep up the pressure with railways to bringup about this change. Else, railways might suggest lack of utilization as a pretext to discontinue services on this much awaited route.

- Srivatsan

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Nice pictures, detailed report, thanks guys for taking the effort to be there and then sharing this report with us.

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Hi

Nice to see the pics hemanth/sanjay...its really good report and  fair can be increased i feel....honestly..

Regards

kamal

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@Srivatsan,

Yes you are right, the schedule should suit School/College/Office/Business schedules. Now the ball is in Citzien's court to mobilize enough support to not only sustain this schedule but should demand more schedules atleast one in morning and one in evening hours from both ends.

Best way would be to request the local politicians to send similar letters to DRM, besides individual writing letters to DRM, SWR.

Sanjeev/Hemanth, can we put some efforts on this?

-Syed

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I hope this doesnt go the way of HOHO buses and other such projects. They introduce the projects because of some public pressure but do it in such a way that it is doomed to failure and then throw the baby out with the bathwater.

http://www.bangaloremirror.com/article/1/2013050220130502010711187a61447a0/The-right-train-with-the-wrong-timings.html

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Text of the letters sent by registered post to GM, DRM, S W Rly, today:
Respected Sir,

Sub: Petition for increasing the frequency of ‘Bangalore-Nelamangala’ train service

At the outset, we would like to thank you and your division for introducing the much needed train service between ‘Bangalore and Nelamangala’.

A Praja team took a ride on the train recently to gain a first-hand experience of the service. The team members took the opportunity to talk to various sections of Nalamangala town (and nearby area) residents. While the people have welcomed the service with great enthusiasm, and begun patronising it more and more, the overwhelming demand was for more frequent connectivity, particularly in the mornings and evenings (The team report may be accessed at http://praja.in/en/blog/kbsyed61/2013/04/29/report-commuter-train-nelamangala).

On behalf of the people of Nelamangala and its neighborhood, Sir, may we now request you, to step up the services to eventually reach the levels envisaged in the RITES report. We are sure they will not be found wanting in the patronage of this most cost effective form of commute.

Should you or your officers have queries in this regard, please feel welcome to contact me any time.

sd/- for Praja-RAAG

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@Murali :  Thanks for sending the petition to GM and DRM for Nelamnagala Train.

Thanks to Nagabhushana A M  for lodging grievance with Railway on Nelamangala issue :

We had filed grievance with Central Govt on this and reply from SWR as below :

Reply form SWR on introducing morning and evening trains to Nelamangala :

Complaint No / Registration Number : MORLY/E/2013/03677
Train No.56579/56580 Bangalore-Nelamangala-Bangalore passenger has been introduced after commissioning section between Bangalore-Nelamangala section (Part of Chikbanavar-Hassan New line) as per Railway Board directions. The rake of this train is integrated with other passenger trains. It is not feasible to increase the frequency for the present and due platform constraints at Bangalore city station, it is not feasible to introduce commuter trains from Bangalore during morning and evening hours

Complaint No / Registration Number: MORLY/E/2013/03701
Train No.56579/56580 Bangalore-Nelamangala-Bangalore Passenger has been introduced by utilizing lie over period of Train No.56229 Mysore-Bangalore Passenger (from12.10 hrs to 16.05 hrs, 56229/56241) after commissioning of the section between Chikbanavar-Nelamangala (Part of Chikbanavar-Hassan New line) as per Railway Board directions. It is not feasible to revise the timings, due to non availability of coach/rake and platform constraints at Bangalore station. Further, due to acute shortage of platforms, limited maintenance facility, unavailability of coaches, it is not possible to introduce additional passenger (commuter) trains between Nelamangala- Bidadi/Kengeri via Bangalore city during morning and evening hours for the present.

You can check the reply from SWR on the site :

http://pgportal.gov.in/ViewStatus.aspx

So its clear that PF, Maintenance facility and Rakes like DEMU, MEMU / EMU are need of the hour for Bangalore Commuter Rail to kick off with SPV  and not the tracks constraints.

Now we should send petition to Railway Board and our Railway Minister on COmmuter Rail introducing for Bangalore with signature campaign.

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Train nos 66519 / 66520 Marikuppam-Bangalore City Passenger, train no 66519 will depart Marikuppam at 4.45 am (except Sundays) and arrive at Bangalore City at 7.30 am, the same day. In the return direction, train no 66520 will depart Bangalore City 8.15 pm and reach at Marikuppam at 10.30 pm the same night. En route, the train will stop at Bangalore Cantonment, Krishnarajapuram, Whitefield, Malur, Bangarpet Junction, BEML Nagar, Coromandal, Oorgaum and Champion

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/341956/swr-announces-revised-timetable.html

This Train is as part of Rail Budget 2013 announced and timings announced now.   With this new passenger Train addition and timings during night from Bangalore city at 8:15PM is perfect as their r no passenger trains after Bangalore - Bangarpet 16522 leaving at 19:35 Hrs

I am feeling are their  any changes so called peak time  for Bangalore city Railway Station ??? as 8:15PM  and 7:30AM this train timings.  

With further few more trains ( 4 /5 services daily )  Train additions between Bangalore - Bangarpet,  commuters will have good services for travell by Local Trains.  People travelling to Whitefield after 8PM ,  they will get most benefitted with further Foot Over Bridge coming up at Whitefield station.

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Look at how the changes happening on Train additions due to Commuters Demand and SWR does not want to be commuter friendly.

1. Most of  the trains used for local travell have extended to Sunday,  earlier they were running six days only.

2. Bangalore - Bangarpet Train added 2 years back

3. Three services of Yesvantpur - Hosur and Yesvantpur - Devanahalli running with  DEMU Rake added in 2010.

4. Recent addition of Bangalore - Nelamangala Train. 

5. New Train Bangalore - Marikuppam  getting added now

It shows very clearly that,  SWR bangalore is adding services knowingly or unknowingly for Suburban Travells in Bangalore & near by towns.  So things can change with proper rake allocation like DEMU / MEMU / EMU type for Bangalore division.

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http://www.deccanherald.com/content/343346/this-train-runs-almost-empty.htmlInconvenient schedule ensures there are few takers for Bangalore-Nelamangala train  

The Nelamangala-Bangalore passenger train, which was launched without much publicity in April 2013, three years after its announcement, has now become a bane for the Railways.

For, there are very few takers for the train as its timings are not convenient to the people.

Hoping that this will be a popular short-distance service considering the number of travellers on the route, the Railways on April 29, 2013, introduced it between Bangalore  and Nelamangala. In view of the model code of conduct for the Assembly polls, the service was started without much fanfare.

Timing blamed

However, the number of passengers who travel by this train does not cross double digit sometimes. Regular commuters blame it on its timing as the train leaves the City at 12.20 pm and reaches Nelamangala at 1.20 pm.

Even the return timing is odd as the train leaves Nelamangala at 2.10 pm and reaches Bangalore by 3.20 pm. En route, the train stops at Malleswaram, Yeshwantpur, Chikkabanavara and Soladevanahalli, covering a distance of about 23 km.

According to railway officials, the service is not very popular with not many boarding the train at either the City Railway station or Malle- swaram, Yeshwantpur, Chikkabanavara and Soladevanahalli stations. However, the commuters have a different view.

“If the timings are changed, this will be one of the most popular trains as there are thousands of people who come to work in the City from these areas. This will help them if the train service begins at 8 am,” said Ganesh Kini, who resides at a village near Nelamangala and travels to the City daily for work.

Another commuter Y Prasad, who works in a private firm at Seshadripuram, says that the bus fare to the City from Nelamangala is Rs 20, while the train fare is a meagre Rs five. Scores of people will be benefited if the timings are revised.

In addition to the comfortable journey, people can overcome the frequent problem of traffic jams, he added.

Poor publicity

The train most of the time has run almost empty. “I counted the number of passengers one day in June. There were hardly 20, while each bogie has a capacity to accommodate at least 75 passengers,” said Prasad. However, some officials say that it is not the timings which has affected the service, but the poor publicity about the train service.

“First of all, it was the timing of launch of the service. It was launched during the elections and the code of conduct deprived us an opportunity to advertise the service. Secondly, the railway station in Nelamangala is three km away from the town while the bus stand is in the heart of the town,” said an official on condition of anonymity.

Railways to revise timings

Anil Agarwal, Divisional Railway Manager, South Western Railways, said: “The service is not very popular. We have received requests to revise the timings. There have been demands that the train be run during evenings. We are working on the same.”

The train has 13 bogies — nine general second-class sitting coaches, two double-decker chair cars and two second class-cum-luggage vans. The total seating capacity of the passenger train is 972.    

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Knew this situation would come up as I had commented on the same earlier.

Unless the timings are not changed to suit more people (making it a morning and evening train to the comfort of all office/school goers), this service will meet with an untimely death. All efforts should be made in this direction.

Looking at the traffic impact it can make, in total it can carry 17 buses worth of passengers (consider 972 seats in this train as mentioned above and each bus having the capacity to carry 60 passengers).

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As the Local People of Nelamangala have given request to SWR to change timings and  also many news paper bringing out the issue how SWR running train at wrong timings and now SWR saying if they have rake, they will be able to change the timings as requestd by citizens.

Also now representation has been given to Railway Minister to change the timings soon, Minister has promised to change it with next 2 weeks.

http://epapervijayavani.in/Details.aspx?id=7103&boxid=141236953

When service was not started to Nelamangala,  people did't worry on the timings and  after service has started,  people realized  improtance of Train schedule during office time. 

Its good things. happening,  expecting one more services to be added for Tumkur soon as the Bijapur - Bangalore train timing has been revised from 1st July'2013 to 6:30AM  departure from Tumkur from earlier 8:00AM.  So people of Tumkur and MP from Tumkur Bsavaraj have rput pressure on SWR and Railway minister to start service in the morning from Tumkur at 7:45AM.  SWR has promised that if Rake is made available,  they will be able to start.

Looking for early start of the Train announced in the budget from Marikuppam to Bangalore which is during office timing from Bangarpet.

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Hassan - Bangalore new BG line - Collection, Supply and stacking of machine crushed ballast from Km.12/800 to Km.30/800 between Nelamangala and Solur stations.(SCHS/277)

Total Tender Value: Rs 44 Lakhs and period 2 Months

http://www.swr.indianrailways.gov.in/TenderDetails_cpp.jsp?T_ID=1785&lang=0&id=0,3

Extension of Nelamnagala Train towards Solur is very improtant as villagers arround NH-4 can make use of  Nelamnagala Train once it gets extended.

Till now hardly any progress on tracks after Nelamangala.  Will SWR  take next decade to complet this segment

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Is it possible to press for doubling and electrification from Chikkbanavara to Nelamangala?

It is hardly any distance to be frank.

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The new trains
*The Yeshwantpur-Nelamangala train departs at 7.30 am and reaches at 8.15 am. In the return direction, it leaves Nelamangala at 8.45 am and reaches Yeshwantpur at 9.40 am.

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/439146/three-trains-flagged-off-yeshwantpur.html

With This Nelamangala got Two Trains to Bangalore.  Thrid one in the evening will make it good for people Nelamanagal to reach Bangalore by Train and go back by Train.  

Looking at when MEMU train Ramanagara - Banaglore will start.   With roads getting further slow traffic,  these few of  suburban trains will help commuters to use Public Transport.

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