Railway Minister to flag off Hubbali-Nizamuddin train on October 11 | So Good News

Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw will flag off the coveted Hubballi-Delhi (Hazarath Nizamuddin) train on Tuesday (October 11).

The minister, who is on a day-long visit to the twin cities to release a commemorative stamp in memory of Pt Sawai Gandharva at Hubbali’s Sawai Gandharva Kala Mandir, will also dedicate the redeveloped Dharwad railway station, the third entrance of Hubballi railway station and the redeveloped Hubballi yard on Tuesday.

The Hubballi-Nizamuddin train has been a long pending demand of the people for its direct connectivity to the national capital. The train service is expected to boost economic activities and also help devotees of Shiradi Sai Baba, as the train will stop at Kopargaon. The train will cross through Belagavi, Pune, Ahmadnagar, Itarsi, Bhopal and Agra before reaching Delhi.

The demand for a direct train to Delhi had increased after Indian Railways had stopped the Goa Link Express (Train No. 17305) due to the pandemic.

Union Parliamentary Affairs Pralhad Joshi said the Hubballi-Nizamuddin express will be weekly for now. However, efforts will be made to increase the frequency. “Nizamuddin railway station is very crowded right now and it is very difficult to accommodate a daily train. There are also other issues of electrification and doubling of railway tracks, which may delay increasing the frequency,” he said.

Sources in South Western Railway informed DH that the train will have an unscheduled journey on Tuesday. “We are still working to fix a scheduled time for the train,” an officer said.

Joshi also informed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to lay the foundation stone of the Hubbali—Kittur—Belagavi railway line in December or January. Modi is also expected to dedicate the world’s longest railway platform at Hubballi railway station during his visit in December.

Modern appearance

Ashwini will dedicate the new railway building renovated at an estimated cost of Rs 19.5 crore in Dharwad at 12:30 pm. The elegant new building is a perfect amalgamation of modern architecture that is linked to the culture of Dharwad.

The building architecture is based on biophilic architecture which helps to alleviate the mood of the incoming passengers. The vertical garden at the entrance to the station premises and the tall columns in the hall that let natural light into the building are based on biophilic architecture. The murals inside the booking offices present a window to the local art forms for the end users. The new station building strikes a perfect balance between grandeur and efficiency.

The minister will also inaugurate the redeveloped Hubballi yard and the third entry/exit point on Mantur Road (completed at an estimated cost of Rs 115 crore) which will help passengers access platforms six, seven and eight.

Zonal Railway Users’ Consultative Committee member Mahendra Singhi, who welcomed the decision to start the Hubballi-Delhi train, also urged the Railway Minister to restore all train services, including Vasco-Chennai weekly, Mysuru-Udaipur weekly, Hubballi-Tirupati daily, and others that were stopped due to Covid.