B'luru-Hubballi train cancellation: SWR clarifies, cites 'line blockage' on route

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: In a press statement issued by South Western Railways, it was announced that the train from KSR Bengaluru to SSS Hubballi is cancelled indefinitely due to ‘Low Patronage,’ sparking controversy on social media on Monday.

A post from Hubballi Dharwad Infra @Huballi_ Infra shared screenshots from a ticket booking application, displaying people on waiting lists: 47 in Sleeper Class, 12 in 3AC, and 4 in 2AC.

This ignited a conversation, alleging that South Western Railway is cancelling to prioritize other routes. However, Chief Public Officer of South Western Railways, Aneesh Hegde, defended the reason for low occupancy.

“We determine occupancy with data on ticket sales from the past three months. Data of one day cannot be conclusive,” he explained. He also remarked that there are mechanisms to study ticket data, which determines the occupancy for trains.

“The waiting lists for seats on the trains show that there is a rush post-Deepavali,” he added. It was later discovered through the railway grievance cell “Railmadad” that the train was cancelled due to a line block at Hosadurga Railway Station.

“This information came subsequently. The Grievance cell gives out the latest information on issues like these,” he said, admitting that he didn’t have any knowledge of this.

South Western Railways is bringing special trains on public demand to clear the rush due to Deepavali. This issue has drawn the attention from travellers, and a prompt clarification from the officials was demanded.