Announced by Pawan Kumar Bansal, as union rail minister, Chandigarh is now connected with IT hub Bangalore through a direct train. The superfast express train, Chandigarh-Yashwantpur, a station of Bangalore, was flagged off by Pawan Kumar Bansal here today morning. This train would also halt at Pune, another important station and education hub.

The residents of tricity had been since long demanding for a train to connect these two Bangalore and Pune stations. The train would cover the journey of about 2900 kms in 55 hours. For Pune the journey would be of about 34 hour’s duration. The train will also halt at New Delhi, Bhopal and Belgaum besides 10 other important stations on the way.

After flagging off the train, Bansal, interacting with the media told that another important train to Indore was likely to start from February and other to Katra was also likely to start within few days. The inspection of newly laid Jammu- Katra track and newly built Katra railway station has already been successfully carried out. Bansal also told that escalators at Chandigarh railway station were also likely to start by January 31.

Answering a question about the power prices hike, Bansal said that he was not convinced that there was a need to increase prices. Chandigarh was a city, where electricity department was not facing the problem of non- payment of electricity bills. There has to be audit of electricity department and the public of the city should know the circumstances of need to increase the power rates, said Bansal, who further added that yesterday, he had written to Advisor to Chandigarh, expressing his concern on the issue.