The Karnataka State Railway Action Committee has issued a stern warning regarding restoring suspended train services on the Ballari route, threatening to block goods trains if their demands are not addressed.
On Wednesday, the committee, led by KM Maheshwaraswamy, met with Hubballi Division Manager Meena Bila at the city railway station and submitted a petition urging the resumption of services. Their appeal highlighted the need to restore several suspended trains, including the Belagavi-Manuguru Express, Shivamogga-Ballari-Chennai Express, and Kadridevanapalli-Ballari-Tirupati trains.
The committee also proposed new services, such as introducing a Vande Bharat or intercity train connecting Bengaluru via Hosapete-Ballari with morning arrival and evening return, extending the Mumbai-Hosapete Express to Ballari, Bengaluru, or Mysuru, and linking the Vijayapura-Mangaluru Express to Chikkajajur through Hosapete-Ballari-Chitradurga.
A one-month deadline has been set for their demands to be fulfilled, with a warning of blocking goods trains in the second week of February if no action is taken. Most committee members participated in the meeting. In response, Meena Bila assured that measures would be initiated to address their concerns.