Mysuru: With the completion of the electrification work as well as the double track work between Mysuru and Bengaluru, the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) K.A. Manohar today inspected the electrification work on the Broad Gauge line section between Yeliyur-Mysuru.
The team, which included the CRS, engineers and construction officials, began the inspection at 10.45 am from Yeliyur. They were moving on a tower wagon on the track inspecting the electrification at enroute stations and yards including level crossing gates. The inspection was completed by afternoon.
According to sources in the Railways, the Rail Safety Chief will send the report within a week and the double track and electrification will be inaugurated by Railway Minister Piyush Goyal in the first week of January 2018 in Bengaluru.
It may be recalled that after the pending 1.7 km stretch of track doubling at Srirangapatna was completed, the entire 138.3 kms between Mysuru and Bengaluru was commissioned just a couple of days ago.
History being created
Mysuru city got the power supply for the first time on September 28, 1908, during the rule of Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar. It has taken nearly 110 years for the electrification work on the track between Mysuru-Bengaluru to be completed.
The electrification work was taken up along with the track doubling between the two cities. Once the CRS accords authorisation, the electric train services between Mysuru and other parts of Karnataka will become a reality, the sources added.
The Central Organisation for Railway Electrification (CORE), Allahabad took up the electrification project. It completed the installation of poles in the first phase and drew overhead cables along the route. The sub-stations at Bidadi and Yeliyur will feed power to the locomotive through the overhead cables (catenary).
Only the stretch between Bengaluru and Ramnagaram was powered by the electric substation at Whitefield until recently. The completion of Bidadi and Yeliyur substations has paved the way for hauling of electric locomotive trains on the Mysuru-Bengaluru section.
Changing diesel engines
The Chennai-Mysuru trains and Shatabdi Express that run on electric engine up to Bengaluru and then has to be changed to diesel engine will be a thing of the past. From next month, even the last leg of the journey between Bengaluru and Mysuru will be on electric engine, thus reducing time of some of the Express trains.
There are 24 pairs of trains (including the non-daily services) that operate between Mysuru and Bengaluru.
The sources said that there will be regular suburban services introduced between the two cities as the track doubling and electrification work is completed thus improving connectivity and reducing commuting time.
The railways should introduce a daily Shatabdi Express service from Mysore and Bangalore in both the directions in the morning and evening. This will be very useful to both regular commuters. The current Shatabdi from Chennai to Mysore is not convenient in terms of timing. Karnataka/SWR should have its own Shatabdi running between these two cities. The concerned MP’s and legislators should take this up with Mr. Piyush Goyal when he comes to inaugurate this newly electrified route.