| South Western Railway | |
|---|---|
10-South Western Railway |
|
| Locale | Karnataka |
| Dates of operation | 01-04-2003 to present– |
| Predecessor | Southern Railway, South Central Railway |
| Track gauge | Broad gauge |
| Headquarters | Club Road, Keshwapur Hubli Karnataka |
| Website | SWR official website |
The South Western Railway (Kannada: ನೈಋತ್ಯ ರೈಲ್ವೆ)is one of the 16 railway zones in India. It is headquartered at Hubli and comprises Bangalore, Mysore divisions of the erstwhile Southern Railway and the reorganized Hubli division of the erstwhile South Central Railway which includes Hospet and Bellary. The division came into existence on April 1, 2003. Important trains operated by this zone are : Karnataka Express (Bangalore – New Delhi), Rani Chennamma Express (Bangalore – Kolhapur), Gol Gumbaz Express (Bangalore – Solapur), Basava Express (Bangalore – Gulbarga – Bagalkot), Jan Shatabdi Express (Bangalore – Hubli), Siddaganga Intercity Express (Bangalore – Dharwad), Udyan Express (Bangalore – Mumbai), Karnataka Sampark Kranti Express (Bangalore – New Delhi), Hampi Express (Bangalore – Hubli), Bangalore – Chennai Mail, Lalbagh Express (Bangalore – Chennai), Shatabdi Express (Bangalore – Chennai), Tippu Express (Bangalore – Mysore), Rajya Rani Express (Mysore – Bangalore) and the Vasco Da Gama – Hazrat Nizammudin Delhi Goa Express.
Plans are afoot to lay more lines & introduce more trains in this zone as the rail density is less compared to other zones and states in India.
Contents |
South Western Railway covers most of the railway lines in the state of Karnataka, with the following exceptions:
Citizens have been demanding creation of four more divisions under SWR – Davangere, Mangalore, Gulbarga and Vasco da Gama, Goa for better operational efficiency. As noted, currently Mangalore is with the Palghat division of Southern Railway and hence there are demands that the station be brought under the South Western Railway (SWR) and the regions surrounding Mangalore be brought under one division with Mangalore as its headquarters. With the Hassan–Mangalore Broad Gauge section of SWR being commissioned and a new line from Hassan to Nelamangala via Shravanabelagola being constructed (delayed infinitely as of now), it is felt that creation of this division will go a long way in strengthening the railway network of Karnataka and provide better facilities for the region.
Similarly, when the under construction Bagalkote – Kudachi, Kottur – Harihar, Kadur – Chikmagalur – Sakleshpur, Gulbarga – Bidar, Munirabad – Mehboobnagar, Tumkur – Chitradurga – Davangere, Shimoga – Harihar and Tumkur – Rayadurg lines are commissioned, new divisions are necessary for better operational management. As and when the proposed Hubli – Ankola line gets ready,the railway network of the State would get a further boost and propel greater economic activity. This line will also provide connectivity to the Konkan Railway section between Mangalore and Roha at three points — Mangalore, Ankola and Madgaon. The completion of the proposed Hubli – Ankola line would make transport of Manganese and Iron Ore from Bellary hinterlands to the coastal region for exports easier.
Currently the Mysore-Bangalore section is being doubled. The section between Bangalore-Channapatna has been doubled and thrown open to traffic. Progress on other sections is in full swing. The Bangalore-Hubli line is being doubled in patches. While Bangalore-Tumkur was doubled and opened to traffic two years back, progress on other sections has been painfully slow. Currently the doubling of the Arsikere-Birur section of the same line is almost complete.
According to a recent white paper, Karnataka has lower number of electrified and/or doubled broad gauge lines compared to its peers (comparable size states) in India. Compared to other states, Karnataka has only 3% of its of railway lines electrified. The South Western Railway takes pride in running dieselised sections unlike its counterpart zones which focus more on electrification. The Mysore-Bangalore electrification and doubling is underway after around 10 years of delay. In repeated Railway budgets, SWR and Karnataka have been ignored, which has hampered doubling/ new line laying efforts as well as high speed connectivity with the other metros of Kolkata/Mumbai and New Delhi.
According to a recent news paper article in the newspaper 'The Hindu', most of SWR main lines are now at 120% of their passenger carrying capacity. This means that in order to meet the demands of the ever-increasing passenger traffic, (maintain good average speeds on passenger trains, less number of halts due to 'crossings' etc.) Railways will have to double lines.
There has been continuous demand for doubling of following routes in SWR:
--> Currently patch doubling between Bangalore to Tumkur (69 KM) has been completed and doubling work between Arsikere junction to Chikjajur junction (about 115 km) is under progress and should be completed by end of 2011.
--> Hospet to Vasco da Gama, Goa patch doubling work is also under progress.
Since 2007, the SWR is entirely Indian gauge. SWR also has the privilege of holding maximum numbers of WDG4 and WDP4 currently based at diesel loco sheds Hubli and Krishnarajapuram. The EMD WDP4 and WDG4 locomotives are the pride of SWR.
South Western Railway (IR Code:-SWR), one of 17 new railway zones on Indian Railways, was created by carving Hubli division of South Central Railway (IR code:-SCR) and Bangalore and Mysore divisions of the Southern Railway at the beginning of 2004 with its headquarters at Hubli, with Bangalore, Mysore and Hubli operational divisions. It caters services to Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Goa and parts of Tamil Nadu.
The following trains are operated by SWR to various important cities of India.
16501/16502 Ahmedabad – Bangalore Express (weekly) via Guntakal, Daund, Jalgaon, Surat.
16505/16506 Gandhidham – Bangalore Express (weekly) via Hubli, Miraj, Pune, Kalyan, Ahmedabad
16507/16508 Jodhpur – Bangalore Express (Bi-weekly) via Hubli, Miraj, Pune, Kalyan, Surat, Vadodara, Ahmedabad.
16515/16516 Yeshwantpur - Mangalore Tri-Weekly Express via Arsikere, Hassan.
16517/16518 Yeshwantpur – Kannur express via Mysore, Hassan and Mangalore.
16519/16520 Jolarpettai - Bangalore express via Bangarapet.
16521/16522 Bangarapet - Bangalore express.
16525/16526 Island Express (Daily) between Kanyakumari and Bangalore via Bangarpet, Erode, Coimbatore, Ernakulam, Kottayam, Trivandrum (Tiruvanathapuram).
16527/16528 Yeshwantpur – Kannur express via Salem, Erode and Palakkad.
16529/16530 Udyan Express between Mumbai and Bangalore via Prasanti Nilayam, Guntakal and Pune. Udyan means Garden, Bangalore being city of gardens.
16531/16532 Garib Nawaz Express (weekly) between Ajmer and Yeshwantpur via Guntakal, Hubli, Pune, Kalyan(Mumbai), Ahmedabad and Marwar.
16533/16534 Jodhpur – Yeshwantpur Weekly Express Via Guntakal, Miraj, Vasai Road, Ahmedabad.
16535/16536 Gol Gumbaz Express a daily train between Yeshwantpur and Solapur via Tumkur, Davangere, Haveri, Hubli, Gadag, Bagalkot and Bijapur named after Historical Monument Gol Gumbaz.
16537/16538 Bangalore City - Nagercoil Weekly Express via Salem, Erode and Madurai.
16557/16558 Rajya Rani Express between Mysore and Bangalore via Mandya and Ramanagaram.
16559/16560 Yeshwantpur - Mysore Express via Ramanagara and Mandya.
16589/16590 Rani Chennamma Express between Kolhapur and Bangalore via Tumkur, Hubli-Dharwar, Belgaum, Miraj named after legendary queen of Kittur Kingdom in Belgaum district.
16591/16592 Hampi Express between Hubli and Bangalore via Bellary, Guntakal. Hampi was the capital of Legendary Vijayanagar which is in Bellary district.
16593/16594 Nanded - Bangalore Express via Parbhani, Parli Vaijnath, Bidar, Vikarabad, Raichur and Guntakal.
12027/12028 Shatabdi Express Between Bangalore and Chennai Central.
12079/12080 Jan Shatabdi Express between Bangalore and Hubli.
12251/12252 Wainganga Weekly Express between Yeshwantpur and Korba.
12253/12254 Anga Express between Yeshwantpur and Bhagalpur.
12255/12256 Yeshwantpur - Pondicherry Weekly Garib Rath Express via Salem, Villupuram.
12257/12258 Yeshwantpur - Kochuveli (Thiruvanthapuram) Garib Rath Express Tri-Weekly via Salem, Erode, Coimbatore.
12291/12292 Yeshwantpur – Chennai Weekly Express via Jolarpet.
12295/12296 Sangamitra Express between Bangalore and Patna via, Chennai, Warangal, Nagpur, Jabalpur, Mughalsarai. This train was named after Sangamitra (daughter of Buddha).
12539/12540 Yeshwantpur – Lucknow Weekly SF Express via Nagpur, Allahabad.
12607/12608 Bangalore – Chennai Lalbagh Express running via Krishnarajapura, Bangarpet, Jolarpettai, Katpadi and Arakkonam.
12609/12610 Bangalore - Chennai Intercity Express running via Krishnarajapura, Bangarpet, Jolarpettai, Katpadi and Arakkonam.
12613/12614 Tippu Express between Mysore and Bangalore named after Tippu Sultan who ruled Srirangapatna near Mysore Province
12627/12628 Karnataka Express running between New Delhi and Bangalore via Satya Sai Prasanthi Nilayam, Guntakal, Raichur, Gulbarga, Daund, Jalgaon, Bhopal and Agra named after the state where it originates.
12629/12630 Karnataka Sampark Kranti Express (Bi weekly) between Yeshwantpur and Hazrat Nizamuddin via Tumkur, Hubli, Miraj, Pune and Bhopal introduced as part of the Sampark Kranti Series. (Sampark = Contact, Kranti = Revolution).
12649/12650 Karnataka Sampark Kranti Express (5 days a week) between Yeshwantpur and Hazrat Nizamuddin via Dharmavaram, Kacheguda, Nagpur and Bhopal.
12657/12658 Bangalore - Chennai Mail via Bangarpet, Jolarpettai and Katpadi
12725/12726 Siddaganga Intercity Express between Dharwad and Bangalore via Davangere.
16201/16202 Bangalore – Shimoga Express via Tumkur, Arsikere and Birur
16203/16204 Garudadri Express between Chennai and Tirupati via Renigunta
16205/16206 Talaguppa - Mysore Intercity express via Hassan. Talaguppa is just 14 km away from world famous Jog Falls.
16209/16210 Ajmer – Mysore Express (bi-weekly) via Bangalore, Hubli, Miraj, Pune, Ahmedabad.
16215/16216 Chamundi Express between Bangalore and Mysore named after Chamundi Goddess enshrined in Mysore City.
16221/16222 Kaveri Express between Mysore and Chennai via Bangalore named after River Kaveri.
16227/16228 Shimoga - Bangalore Express via Tumkur.
16231/16232 Mayiladuturai Express between Mysore and Mayiladuturai via Hosur, Erode and Tiruchchirapalli.
16233/16234 Mayiladuturai - Tiruchchirapalli Express via Tanjore.
12781/12782 Swarna Jayanti Express a weekly train between Mysore and Hazrat Nizamuddin via Hassan, Hubli, Belgaum, Miraj, Pune, Manmad and Bhopal.
22681/22682 Mysore – Chennai Weekly Superfast Express via Mandya, Bangalore City and Katpadi.
56213/56214 Tirupati Fast passenger between Tirupati and Chamrajanagar via Katpadi, Bangalore and Mysore
17301/17302 Dharwad – Mysore Express via Hassan and Hubli.
17303/17304 Malgudi Express between Yeshwantpur – Mysore via Ramanagara and Mandya named after Malgudi Days written by RK Narayan who stayed in Mysore
17305/17306 Goa Link Express between Hubli – Londa – Hazrat Nizamuddin.
17307/17308 Basava Express between Yeshwantpur and Bagalkot runs daily via Guntakal, Raichur, Solapur and Bijapur named of the Lord Basava or Basaveshwara, the shaiva leader..
17309/17310 Vasco da Gama – Yeshwantpur Express (bi weekly) via Londa, Hubli and Tumkur.
17311/17312 Vasco da Gama - Chennai Central express, a weekly train via Hubli, Tumkur, Yeshwantpur and Bangarpet.
17313/17314 Hubli - Chennai Central Express, a weekly train via Tumkur, Yeshwantpur and Bangarpet.
17315/17316 Vasco da Gama - Velankanni weekly express via Hubli, Yeshwantpur and Salem.
12741/12742 Vasco da Gama - Patna Weekly Superfast Express via Ratnagiri, Mughalsarai.
12777/12778 Hubli - Kochuveli (Thiruvanthapuram) Weekly Superfast Express via Yeshwantpur, Salem.
12779/12780 Goa Express between Vasco da Gama and Hazrat Nizamuddin via Madgaon, Londa, Belgaum, Pune, Manmad and Bhopal.
12027/12028 Bangalore - Chennai Central Shatabdi Express.
12079/12080 Bangalore - Hubli Jan Shatabdi Express.
12251/12252 Yeshwantpur - Korba Bi-Weekly Wainganga Express.
12253/12254 Yeshwantpur - Bhagalpur Weekly Anga Express.
12255/12256 Yeshwantpur - Pondicherry Weekly Garib Rath Express.
12257/12258 Yeshwantpur - Kochuveli (Thiruvanthapuram) Garib Rath Express.
12291/12292 Yeshwantpur – Chennai Weekly Express.
12295/12296 Bangalore - Patna Sangamitra Express.
12539/12540 Yeshwantpur – Lucknow Weekly Superfast Express.
12607/12608 Bangalore – Chennai Lalbagh Express.
12609/12610 Bangalore - Chennai Intercity Express.
12613/12614 Mysore - Bangalore Tippu Express.
12627/12628 New Delhi - Bangalore Karnataka Express.
12629/12630 Yeshwantpur - Hazrat Nizamuddin Karnataka Sampark Kranti Express.
12649/12650 Yeshwantpur - Hazrat Nizamuddin Karnataka Sampark Kranti Express.
12657/12658 Bangalore - Chennai Mail.
12725/12726 Dharwad - Bangalore Siddaganga Intercity Express.
12741/12742 Vasco da Gama - Patna Weekly Superfast Express.
12777/12778 Hubli - Kochuveli (Thiruvanthapuram) Weekly Superfast Express.
12779/12780 Vasco da Gama - Hazrat Nizamuddin Goa Express.
12781/12782 Mysore - Hazrat Nizamuddin Swarna Jayanti Express.
22681/22682 Mysore – Chennai Weekly Superfast Express.