The timings of the newly introduced Vande Bharat (T18) clash with the Shatabdi Express with railway commuters urging the authorities to ensure that the two trains do not end up competing with each other.
As per the current timings notified by the railways, the T18 leaves Chennai at 5.50 am, just 10 minutes ahead of Shatabdi’s 6 am departure. In the return direction, it leaves Mysuru at 1.05 pm, about an hour before Shatabdi.
Noting that Mysuru-Chennai is a popular route with high demand for trains, Karnataka Railway Vedike’s K N Krishna Prasad said the railways can explore better timings for T18 to attract the passengers.
“For decades now, Shatabdi has been providing reliable service. The popularity has gone up when the price was cut. It would be in the best interest of passengers as well as railways to look for a timing that doesn’t clash with Shatabdi Express,” he
said.
He said authorities can explore the timings of the double-decker train, which has not been able to elicit the response that was expected during its introduction.
Since 1994, passengers on the Chennai-Bengaluru-Mysuru route have taken pride in travelling in Shatabdi Express, the special trains introduced across the country in commemoration of birth centenary of Jawaharlal Nehru.
To a question, Chief Public Relations Officer of the South Western Railway Aneesh Hegde said the railways was open to alternative timings.
“Our aim is to enhance passengers’ travel experience as well as convenience. We are open to suggestions on timings and will study the issue in detail. In the long run, we plan to increase the speed of the T18 by taking up the necessary engineering works on various sections between Chennai and Mysuru. We need to fix factors like gradients and curvatures to increase the speed to 130 kmph,” he said.