SWR to run special trains for Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba’s centenary celebrations
3 min read
Hubli: South Western Railway (SWR) has implemented extensive operational and infrastructural measures to ensure smooth travel for the lakhs of devotees expected at Prasanthi Nilayam during the birth centenary celebrations of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba.
To handle the anticipated surge in passenger traffic, Railways has arranged large-scale additional stoppages, diversions, train extensions and special services for seamless connectivity to Sri Sathya Sai Prasanthi Nilayam.
Passenger facilities have been significantly enhanced with backlit directional signage, upgraded passenger information systems, coach indication boards, and improved public address systems. Sanitation infrastructure has been strengthened with 31 toilet booths and 15 urinals, while drinking water facilities have been expanded with additional water coolers.
An extra ticket counter at the Puttaparthi bus stand, two help booths, m-UTS services, and Sahayaks have further improved convenience for passengers.
To manage peak crowds, a dedicated holding area for 2,000 passengers, barricaded queue lanes, additional floodlighting, and expanded parking for over 500 vehicles have been arranged. Three office rooms have been converted into additional waiting areas, and seven wheelchairs are available to assist elderly and differently-abled passengers. Coordination with local transport authorities has also been strengthened to ensure smooth last-mile connectivity.
SWR General Manager Mukul Saran Mathur inspected Prasanthi Nilayam Station on Tuesday to review these preparations and directed officials to further reinforce passenger amenities. He was accompanied by DRM Bengaluru Ashutosh Kumar Singh and senior SWR officials.
1. Temporary Additional Stoppages at Prasanthi Nilayam
To accommodate increased travel demand, 42 temporary stoppages have been provided at Sri Sathya Sai Prasanthi Nilayam. These include 9 trains already routed via Prasanthi Nilayam and 33 trains diverted through Penukonda–Prasanthi Nilayam–Dharmavaram with additional halts.
These trains originate from major cities including Bengaluru, Mysuru, New Delhi, Lucknow, Coimbatore, Puri, Gorakhpur, Raipur, Gwalior, Ajmer, Jodhpur and others, providing broad national connectivity for devotees.
2. Diversion of Trains via Prasanthi Nilayam
A total of 33 trains has been diverted through Prasanthi Nilayam for the duration of the celebrations. This ensures improved distribution of traffic on busy routes and enhances direct accessibility to Prasanthi Nilayam.
3 Temporary Extension of Services
To further ease travel to the region, certain trains have been temporarily extended up to Guntakal and Hindupur.
These include:
• 06517/06518 Yesvantpur–Hindupur–Yesvantpur, extended up to Guntakal
• 17215/17216 Machilipatnam–Dharmavaram–Machilipatnam, extended up to Hindupur
Each of these pairs will operate 7 round trips during the period.
4 Additional Special Trains by SWR
SWR has planned several MEMU and time-tabled special services to accommodate the projected rise in passenger traffic:
• 06595/06596 KSR Bengaluru–Dharmavaram–KSR Bengaluru (MEMU) – 7 trips
• 06577/06578 Bengaluru Cant–Dharmavaram–Bengaluru Cant (MEMU) – 7 trips
• 06213/06214 KSR Bengaluru–Ashokapuram–KSR Bengaluru (MEMU) – 18 trips
• 06549/06550 KSR Bengaluru–Thiruvananthapuram–KSR Bengaluru (TOD Special)
• 06543/06544 Bengaluru Cant–Thiruvananthapuram–Bengaluru Cant (TOD Special)
These trains significantly boost both short-distance and medium-distance connectivity to Prasanthi Nilayam.
5 Special Trains from Other Railways
Major Indian Railways zones including South Central Railway, Southern Railway, East Coast Railway, and South Eastern Railway have also announced a series of special trains. These services connect cities such as Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, Bhubaneswar, Shalimar, Chennai, Coimbatore and Tirunelveli with Prasanthi Nilayam and nearby hubs like Yelahanka, Bengaluru Cantt, and Guntakal, ensuring pan-India accessibility for devotees.
6 Summary of Preparedness
• Total 85 trips have been notified from 5 Zones including SWR
• 42 temporary stoppages at Sri Sathya Sai Prasanthi Nilayam
• 33 diverted trains routed via Prasanthi Nilayam
• 2 train pairs extended (14 round trips)
• Multiple SWR special trains, including MEMU and long-distance services
• Special trains by 6 other zonal railways
• Nationwide connectivity covering North, East, West, and South India
7 Appeal to Passengers
SWR requests devotees to plan their journey in advance, utilize special trains wherever available, follow instructions from railway staff, and maintain orderly movement at stations.
– Team Mysoorunews
Mysooru News
