Hassan-Bengaluru rail service to be launched after March 15

Hassan: The launch of the much-awaited railway service between the state capital and Hassan has been delayed and will be held after March 15, MLA H D Revanna said.

Addressing the media, Revanna said that the service was scheduled to begin from March 9, but as the Chief Minister was scheduled to attend the programme, it had been postponed for a few days and would be held later this month as Siddaramaiah would present the budget on March 15.

It is said that the train, once launched will depart Hassan at 6 am and will reach Bengaluru by 9.30 am; the train will then leave Bengaluru at 6 pm and reach Hassan by 9.30 pm.

Revanna said that the Centre had announced the service as a birthday gift for former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda adding that the service would benefit people of the district.

Meanwhile, a memorandum has been submitted to the Indian Railways, seeking extension of the Mysuru-Shravanabelagola passenger up to Bengaluru, Revanna said.

The MLA informed that there were other demands including running the Bengaluru City-Mangaluru Mangala Express and Yeshwantpur-Karwar trains via Hassan.

Revanna informed that Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari had promised to widen the Hassan-Mangaluru Road into a six-lane at an estimated cost of Rs 1,400 crore. The project will exclude the Shiradi Ghat as the concrete works on that stretch were being undertaken by the PWD, he added.