Hubballi: South Western Railway (SWR) is operating Yeshwantpur–Vijayapura–Yeshwantpur Express summer special trains (06577/78) to manage the extra passenger rush. In press releases dated May 14 and 29, the railway announced a two-minute stoppage at the Gadag Bypass station. However, passengers are unable to book tickets for travel to or from this station on the IRCTC and Rail One apps.
Residents Express Anger Over Dual Policy
Gadag residents, already dissatisfied with the construction of a bypass station located approximately 10 km from Gadag Junction, have voiced their anger over what they describe as a dual policy: announcing a stoppage while failing to enable online booking. HK Bhargav, a frequent traveler and tech professional from Gadag, told TOI that SWR should ensure all preparatory work is completed before making such announcements. Since Gadag Bypass is a new station that has never seen a passenger train stoppage, it has not been mapped or added to IRCTC or Rail One. Despite raising a complaint on Rail Madad, Bhargav noted that the railway remains unresponsive.
Allegations of a Hide and Seek Game
Vishwnath Khanapur, president of Gadag Zilla Vikas Vedike, alleged that SWR is playing a hide and seek game with the district's public. He claimed that the bypass station was constructed silently without informing the public or elected representatives, and it lacks road connectivity, a booking counter, and other basic amenities. The station is situated adjacent to a graveyard. When people opposed the construction, officials stated that only goods trains would be operated. Later, special trains were introduced without stoppage. Now, a stoppage has been provided, but booking is not enabled. Moreover, both trains pass through the station at night, raising concerns about passenger safety and accessibility.
Activist Questions Railway's Intentions
Activist Chandrakant Chavan argued that the bypass station diminishes the importance of Gadag Junction, which has been in operation since 1882 and is currently classified as a non-suburban Group-4 station. We had previously opposed the bypass station. Through this incident, it appears that SWR either wants to demonstrate a lack of response from Gadag residents for these trains or is bowing to the pressure of private bus operators, whose numbers have increased from two to eight in the last two years on the Gadag-Bengaluru route, he alleged.
Residents Face Grievance Redressal Runaround
Residents reported that when they complained about the lack of booking on Rail One, they were directed to email railone.support@cris.org.in. In response, they received a link to https://railone.indianrailways.gov.in. After filing grievances there, they were asked again to register complaints within the Rail One app. Bhargav stated that the railway should handle this matter internally instead of making it difficult for passengers. The railway is discouraging us from filing grievances by insisting on multiple steps, he said.
SWR CPRO Manjunath Kanamadi was unavailable for comment at the time of reporting.
