Tipu Express is now Wodeyar Express

Talguppa – Mysuru Daily Express named as Kuvempu Express

Mysore/Mysuru:  In a significant decision, the Ministry of Railways (Railway Board) on Friday renamed Tipu Express, a premier Superfast Daily Express between Mysuru and Bengaluru, as Wodeyar Express. Also, the Talguppa – Mysuru  Daily Express has been named as Kuvempu Express, after poet laureate Kuvempu (K.V. Puttappa).

This comes following a demand made by Mysuru-Kodagu MP Pratap Simha. The MP, in a letter to Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw in July this year, had sought renaming of  Mysuru-Bengaluru  Superfast Tipu Express (Train Nos. 12613/12614) as Wodeyar Express in consideration of the work of erstwhile Mysore rulers in developing a vast network of Railways in the then Mysore kingdom and also in transforming it as a Modern State.

The Talguppa-Mysuru Daily

Express (Train Nos. 16221/ 16222), which was running without any name, has now been named as Kuvempu Express after the Poet Laureate who hailed from Thirthahalli in Shivamogga district and was a literary genius. The train has been named after Kuvempu (Rashtrakavi), following a letter by MP Pratap  Simha, as a tribute to the great literary personality, which will have a profound effect on the sentiments of the people of both Mysuru and those in his home district of Shivamogga. The Talguppa Express leaving Mysuru will travel via K.R.

Nagar – Holenarasipur – Hassan- Arsikere – Birur – Bhadravathi – Shivamogga.

Soon as the Ministry of Railways issued an order to this effect on Oct.7, MP Pratap Simha thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Union Minister for Coal and Mines and Parliamentary Affairs Pralhad Joshi for considering his plea.

Siddu reacts

Meanwhile, Opposition Leader and former Chief Minister Siddharamaiah (Siddu) has criticised the renaming of Tipu Express.  Maintaining that the renaming of Mysuru-Bengaluru Superfast  Tipu Express as Wodeyar Express is not correct, he contended that he has great respect for the erstwhile Mysore rulers and instead another train should have been named as Wodeyar Express. He accused the BJP of spreading hatred and engaging in divisive politics.