Sir,

The Mysuru-Bengaluru railway line has been doubled, electrified and upgraded for speeds of up to 110 kmph. However, trains on this section are now slower than they were earlier on the single diesel line.

To glorify Vande Bharat service, Shatabdi Express has been slowed to a travel time of 2 hours and 15 minutes, despite being capable of completing the journey in just 1 hour and 45 minutes. It was achieving this timing before introduction of Vande Bharat and is also significantly cheaper. Similarly, several express trains are capable of reaching Bengaluru in around 2 hours and 15 mins. Indian Railways is investing heavily in upgrading tracks for higher speeds — from 100-110 kmph to 130 kmph. However, these increased speeds are not benefiting passengers who end their journey at the final destination.

Advantage of higher speeds is not reflected in actual time savings. Instead, it has become merely an experience of travelling faster, without any real reduction in journey time. Rather than focusing solely on increasing train speeds, Railways should invest more in speeding up station operations & signalling efficiency. Despite having 6 platforms at Mysuru Station, trains are frequently halted at home signal for prolonged periods.

In an era where Metro trains operate at intervals of just 3 minutes, one is compelled to ask whether Indian Railways is 30-50 years behind in terms of technology & operational efficiency.

– Vasanth, Mysuru, 17.1.2026

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