KKCCI delegation urges Central Railway to strengthen rail services in Kalyana Karnataka

The Kalyana Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KKCCI) on Thursday submitted a detailed memorandum to the General Manager of Central Railway, Vijaykumar, during his visit to Kalaburagi, seeking major upgrades in passenger train services and railway infrastructure across the Kalyana Karnataka region.

The memorandum, presented by KKCCI president Sharanabasappa M. Pappa, former president Shashikanth B. Patil, and secretary Shivaraj V. Inginshetty, highlighted the need for new train routes, improved facilities at key stations, and faster completion of ongoing projects to enhance regional connectivity and support economic growth.

Among the key proposals the chamber sought were the extension of the Mumbai-Solapur Vande Bharat Express up to Kalaburagi, revision of Kalaburagi-Bengaluru Vande Bharat timings for passenger convenience, and shifting of its primary maintenance to Kalaburagi as per Railway Board orders. It also appealed to the Railway authorities to route the proposed Mumbai-Bengaluru High-Speed or Semi-High-Speed train via Solapur-Kalaburagi-Wadi-Bengaluru instead of Hubballi, citing better infrastructure and a shorter route.

The delegation also pressed for the introduction of a new daily Kalaburagi-Bengaluru-Mysuru Express, additional MEMU and commuter train services on the Solapur-Kalaburagi-Wadi-Raichur and Solapur-Kalaburagi-Hyderabad corridors, and the restoration or extension of several pre-COVID services, including the Solapur–Guntakal DEMU and the Kalaburagi-Hyderabad Intercity Express.

In addition, KKCCI requested new stoppages for long-distance trains such as the LTT-Secunderabad Duronto Express, Solapur-Tirupati Express, LTT-Visakhapatnam Express, and Konark Express at Kalaburagi, Shahabad, and Ganagapur Road stations.

On the infrastructure front, the chamber urged the expansion of pit lines at Kalaburagi station, construction of an island terminal platform for short-distance trains, and faster implementation of the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme at Kalaburagi, Shahabad, Wadi, and Ganagapur Road stations. It also sought early completion of the Road Under Bridge (RUB) at Shahabad, development of a second entrance at Kalaburagi station, and installation of foot overbridges and escalators to handle the growing passenger traffic.

KKCCI president Sharanabasappa M. Pappa said the implementation of these proposals would “greatly improve passenger convenience, operational efficiency, and balanced regional development.”

The meeting was attended by Baburao Panchal, Divisional Railway Users’ Consultative Committee Member; Sujeet Mishra, Divisional Railway Manager (DRM), Solapur; and Yogesh, Senior Divisional Commercial Manager (Sr. DCM), Solapur, among others.