New Almatti-Wandal Rail Line Commissioned, Removing Critical Bottleneck
The South Western Railway (SWR) has achieved a significant milestone with the commissioning of the newly laid Broad Gauge double line between Almatti and Wandal. This 9.6 km section, which was previously a major bottleneck for train movements due to constraints at the Almatti bridge, has now been opened for public carriage of passengers as of March. This development is part of the larger Gadag–Hotgi line doubling project, marking its final completion.
Infrastructure Details and Regional Impact
The project includes the construction of a crucial open web girder bridge across the Parvatikatti River, featuring 9 spans of 45.7 metres each. Additionally, one minor bridge, one Road Over Bridge (ROB), and other associated infrastructure have been successfully completed. This enhancement ensures safer and smoother train operations, providing a substantial boost to rail connectivity and freight movement in the region. It effectively links Mumbai with southern states, promising improved economic and logistical efficiency.
Local Demands for Enhanced Train Services
With the removal of this bottleneck, residents of Vijayapura, Bagalkot, Gadag, Koppal, Ballari, and other districts are now advocating for the introduction of luxury trains such as Vande Bharat. Kutubuddin Kazi, state president of the Karnataka Railway Development Agitation Committee in Bagalkot, highlighted the historical challenges of the Hotgi-Gadag section, describing it as one of the ill-fated sections in Indian railway history. He recalled that train services were hampered for over a decade in the 2000s due to gauge conversion.
Kazi emphasized, "A railway report from 2011 projected 32 up and down daily trains. However, officials cited various reasons like line doubling and electrification for delays. Now that all obstacles are addressed, SWR should operate 32 up and down trains, including Vande Bharat, super fast expresses, and other luxury trains." He further proposed diverting Mumbai-Bengaluru trains from the Miraj-Hubballi route to Daund, Solapur, Vijayapura, Bagalkot, and Gadag, which could reduce the distance by 95 km, decongest traffic on Mumbai-Kalaburagi-Bengaluru and Mumbai-Hubballi-Bengaluru routes, and prove profitable for railways while saving time and costs for passengers.
Community Advocacy and Future Prospects
Bharatraj Desai, Shankar Jalli, and other office bearers of the Almatti Railway Abhivruddhi Horata Samiti pointed out that Almatti has emerged as a tourist hub in recent years but lacks sufficient railway facilities. They stated, "We have urged the Railway to provide stoppages for all long-route trains at Almatti. Since August 2025, when the Almatti-Bagalkot 35 km stretch was facilitated with a doubled line, train punctuality has increased, with many trains from Almatti reaching Gadag 30 minutes early. However, this benefit has not yet been extended to passengers at large."
The group plans to meet SWR officials in Hubballi soon to advocate for reducing travel times on all trains running through the Hotgi-Gadag section. This development not only addresses long-standing infrastructure gaps but also sets the stage for potential economic growth and improved passenger experiences in the region.
