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MYSORE: Here is a happy news for passengers travelling on Mysore-Bangalore route -- four additional trains will be available to them on the busy sector.There are 24 trains operating between the two cities with 20 trains running daily and Shatabdhi Express running six days a week. The railway minister has extended four trains to Mysore, which will help improve connectivity to Bangalore and north Karnataka. On an average, 25,000 passengers board Bangalore-bound trains daily, while the inbound traffic is over 20,000.The services of Bagalkot-Yeshwantpur Express (train No. 17307), Hubli-Bangalore Express (16591), Solapur-Yeshwantpur Express (16535) have been extended to the tourist hub, linking Bangalore and places in north Karnataka. This apart, the services of Darbhanga-Bangalore Express will also be extended up to Mysore. The schedule of the new trains will be announced shortly.Sources told TOI that the number of outbound passengers from Mysore has doubled in five years. This is mainly because of the increased number of trains. "With additional four trains operating to Bangalore, the traffic will pick up," they stated. Part of the reason for the increase in traffic is the availability of trains, they stated, pointing out that in five years, the number of trains operating between Mysore and Bangalore have almost doubled. This comes ahead of the doubling of the track between Mysore and Bangalore, which is expected to be completed by 2014.

Oldest railway line

History has it that Bangalore-Mysore railway line is one of the oldest railway lines in India. Well before many emerging urban centres down south have had a rail connectivity, Mysore had one, with the commissioning of Mysore-Bangalore metregauge in 1882.

However, a railway line between Madras and Bangalore, built in 1864 by Madras Railway Company, is the first rail link in old Mysore region. Mysore State had provided land for the construction of the line. After the railway lines were constructed, the erstwhile Mysore State maintained it till it became a costly affair. This led to the transferring of assets to Southern Mahratta Railway based in Hubli in 1886.

According to records, there was Mysore-Nanjangud line of 25km opened in 1891. Mysore State had to wait a bit for railway development which got a booster dose following the setting up of Mysore State Railway Construction department in 1911. The next year, railway secretariat was separated from public works department and became a separate organization. Interestingly, the government took over railway operations from Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway in 1919. But the rolling stock of Mysore State railways was still maintained by the Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway.