A special train between Visakhapatnam and Yeshvantpur (Bengaluru), which had overwhelming patronage for over two years, was withdrawn on November 11 last year. Despite an assurance given by Railway Minister Piyush Goyal to restart the train from January 2019, it is yet to be done.
This train was launched by the South Western Railway (SWR) on October 28, 2016, following persistent demands from the Telugus living in Bengaluru. This train was convenient for software employees from Visakhapatnam employed in Bengaluru. This train used to leave the city at 1.45 p.m. on Sundays and reaches Yeshvantpur at 9.05 a.m. on Mondays, enabling techies to reach offices on time.
There are thousands of people from coastal Andhra Pradesh, working in IT companies and other sectors, who had settled in Bengaluru permanently. They return home during the weekends. At a time when the passengers were demanding its conversion into a regular train , it was withdrawn.
YSRCP MP V. Vijaya Sai Reddy had raised the issue in the Rajya Sabha last year and the Railway Minister replied that train no. 06579/80 Yesvantpur-Visakhapatnam-Yesvantpur Tatkal fare weekly special train would resume service between January and April this year. The railway authorities did not seem to bother about implementation of the assurance, causing resentment among frequent travellers.
MP writes to DRM
MP M.V.V. Satyanarayana has written to the Waltiar DRM, seeking re-introduction of the train. He noted that the South Western Railway was willing to run the train provided one rake was kept at their disposal by the East Coast Railway (ECoR).
The MP said many trains originating from Bhubaneswar and Puri were upgraded with LHB coaches as a huge number of new coaches were allotted to the ECoR. One ICF rake may be requisitioned from ECoR headquarters and kept at the disposal of Coach Depot in Visakhapatnam for operating of a bi-weekly special train to Yesvantpur, he suggested.