S Lalitha By Express News Service BENGALURU: The South Western Railway is mulling bypassing the Yeshwantpur railway station for at least ten long-distance trains in order to decongest the jam-packed station. Most of the trains that could follow this schedule pass via North Karnataka, and the plan is expected to hit passengers reaching the city from there. Speaking to The New Indian Express, a senior railway official said that after trains from different parts of the country reach Chikkabanavara railway station, the trains would not be stopped at Yeshwantpur as is being done in the present schedule. Instead, they would head via Lotte Gollehalli and Hebbal and stop at Banaswadi railway station. A top railway official confirmed the move. “We had been thinking on similar lines for many months. We have now narrowed down on the trains that could bypass Yeshwantpur,” he said. The proposal is to be sent to the Railway Board for approval shortly, he added. The trains passing via North Karnataka figure among those for which Yeshwantpur stoppage could be dropped if the Railway Board okays the move. Dadar-Puducherry (Train no. 11005) and its pair, Puducherry-Dadar Express (Train no. 11006); Mumbai-Tirunelveli Express (Train no. 11021) and Tirunelveli-Mumbai Express (Train no.11022); Vasco Da Gama-Velankanni Express (Train no. 17315) and Velankanni-Vasco Da Gama Express (Train no.17316), Vasco Da Gama-Chennai Express (Train no. 17312) and Chennai-Vasco Da Gama Express (Train no. 17311) are among the trains which may not stop at Yeshwantpur in future. “These trains take the route from Hubballi, Miraj, Belagavi, Dharwad and Davangere. So, commuters travelling both onward and return on these routes will be impacted as soon as they enter the city. At least 50,000 travel between the cities and Bengaluru on a daily basis,” he said. “Unlike the Yeshwantpur railway station, neither Chikkabanavara nor Banaswadi railway station has good bus or Metro connectivity. Hence, dropping Yeshwantpur out would mean that passengers who enter the city will have to travel for hours in the traffic to reach their destinations,” said a member of a North Karnataka-based passenger forum. “Imagine if one needs to travel from Banaswadi or Chikkabanavara to Rajaji Nagar, Vijayanagar or Jayanagar in the present road traffic. All these destinations can be reached within 20 minutes or lesser from the Yeshwantpur Metro station. Now, people will take hours to reach their destinations,” the member added.

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