Lok Sabha Election 2024: South Western Railways to run special trains in Karnataka

Railway authorities add special train services for Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka; Bengaluru-Mangaluru and Yesvantpur-Kundapur routes announced.

Published on: Apr 25, 2024, 15:31:36 IST

By Yamini C S

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In anticipation of a surge in travel demand ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka, railway authorities have added special train services connecting Bengaluru with Mangaluru Central. Karnataka will go into voting for 14 out of the 28 total seats tomorrow.

These special trains have been introduced to ease travel for voters ahead of the crucial Lok Sabha election in the state, scheduled for April 26. (HT File)

According to a press release by the South Western Railway (SWR), the Bengaluru - Mangaluru Central Special, designated as Train No. 06553, is scheduled to depart from Bengaluru's Sir M Visvesvaraya Terminal (SMVT) at 6:00 pm on April 25 (Thursday), with an arrival time at Mangaluru Central at 10 am the following day.

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Conversely, the Mangaluru Central - Bengaluru Special, identified as Train No. 06554, will depart from Mangaluru Central at 12 pm on April 26 (Friday) and is expected to reach Sir. M Visvesvaraya Terminal in Bengaluru at 3 am the subsequent day.

Moreover, the South Western Railway authorities have unveiled the Yesvantpur – Kundapur special express to bridge Bengaluru with Udupi. Train No. 06547 is slated to depart from Yesvantpur in Bengaluru on April 25 at 11:20 pm, arriving at Kundapur the following day at 10:45 am.

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For the return journey from Kundapur to Yesvantpur, Train No. 06548 is scheduled to depart from Kundapur at 11:20 am on April 26, with an expected arrival time at Yesvantpur at 9:50 pm on the same day.

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In a similar instance, the Bengaluru metro services will be extended 40 minutes past its scheduled closing time on April 26 night after voting for the Lok Sabha election. Furthermore, ride-hailing service Rapido also announced on Wednesday that it would provide complimentary bike taxi, auto, and cab rides to differently-abled and senior citizen voters across Karnataka.

(With inputs from PTI)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yamini C S
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.Read More

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