SWR summer specials halt at Gadag Bypass, but no booking available

Hubballi: South Western Railway (SWR) is running Yeshwantpur–Vijayapura–Yeshwantpur Express summer special trains (06577/78) to clear extra passenger rush. In press releases dated May 14 and 29, it announced a two-minute stoppage at the Gadag Bypass station. However, booking is not available on the IRCTC and Rail One apps for travel to or from the station.

Gadag residents, already unhappy over the construction of a bypass station around 10km from Gadag Junction, have expressed anger over what they describe as a “dual policy” of announcing a stoppage while not enabling online booking.

HK Bhargav, a frequent traveller and techie from Gadag, told TOI that SWR should ensure preparatory work is in place before making announcements. “Since Gadag Bypass is a new station and has never witnessed stoppage of any passenger train, it’s not mapped or added in IRCTC or Rail One. Though we have raised a complaint on Rail Madad, the railway is in deep slumber,” he added.

Vishwnath Khanapur, president of Gadag Zilla Vikas Vedike, alleged that “SWR is playing a hide and seek game” with the district’s public.

“It silently constructed a bypass station, which is deprived of road connectivity, a booking counter and other basic amenities, without informing the public or the elected representatives. The station is adjacent to a graveyard. When people opposed it, officials said they would run only goods trains. Later, they started special trains without stoppage. Now they have provided a stoppage, but not enabled booking. Moreover, both trains pass there in the night; I don’t know how passengers can commute there,” he rued.

Activist Chandrakant Chavan said the bypass station diminishes the importance of Gadag Junction, which has existed since 1882 and is currently under non-suburban Group-4. “We fought against the bypass station in the past. By this incident, probably the SWR wants to show that there is no response from Gadag people for these trains, or it’s bowing to the mafia of private buses, whose number has risen to eight from two in the last 2 years between Gadag and Bengaluru,” he alleged.

Residents said that when they complained about the lack of booking on Rail One, they were directed to email railone.support@cris.org.in, from where they were sent a link to https://railone.indianrailways.gov.in.

After filing grievances there, they were asked again to register complaints within the Rail One app. “Actually, the railway should do it on its own. The railways is discouraging us from filing grievances by insisting on doing so many things,” Bhargav said.

SWR CPRO Manjunath Kanamadi was unavailable for comment.