Sir,

Recently, another Vande Bharat Express train was started from Mysuru at 6 am. It was published in SOM that Vande Bharat is of little use to the common man and a Jan Shatabdi or Amrit Bharat Express should be started instead.

Mysuru is considered a garage and a cleaning station. Due to the lack of space in Krantivira Sangolli Rayanna Bengaluru Station (KSR Bengaluru Station), trains are extended to Mysuru and presented as a service to Mysuru. Most trains are late. Even when they are on time, they are made to wait at the Goods Yard for 30-plus minutes.

On top of that, these superfast trains overtake normal trains, causing a delay of 30 to 45 minutes. 3,000 people are made to waste their time for up to 30 to 50 passengers in Vande Bharat Express.

Trains impacted

• 5 am Chennai Central: This can be scheduled to reach KSR Bengaluru at 7.15 am. Instead, it is made to wait at Kengeri or Nayandahalli for Vande Bharat Express to overtake. Let Vande Bharat Express overtake at KSR Bengaluru as it reaches SBC at 7.45 am.

• Shirdi Express: This can be rescheduled to start at 5.20 am or so and reach KSR Bengaluru around 7.35 am, as it is non-stop. Currently, it is made to wait in Hejjala for 30 minutes.

• Vishwamanava Express: Starting at 5.40 am, it can be rescheduled to start at 6.05 am. It is currently made to wait in Yeliyur.

In summary, replace Vande Bharat Express with Shatabdi/ Jan Shatabdi/ Amrit Bharat. This can help many people, with a Shatabdi fare of around Rs. 350 and an Amrit Bharat / Jan Shatabdi fare of around Rs. 75 to 90 rupees.

With KSRTC buses reaching in 2 hours, taking a train that takes 3 hours and is called superfast, only 15 minutes faster than Vande Bharat Express makes no sense. Rather, it causes inconvenience to thousands of passengers.

— Vasanth, Mysuru, 22.7.2024

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