Report - Commuter Train to Nelamangala

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

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

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.

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.    

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.

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

It is hardly any distance to be frank.