The nearest railway station to Hampi is Hospet, which is about 13 km from Hampi. Though all trains halt at Hospet, they are infrequent. There are about 10 daily trains and about 5 special trains, which ply once or twice a week. Two of these trains are from Bangalore. The trains are run by Indian Railways a Government of India company and largest employer of the world. Indian Railways is one of the largest railway networks of the world and is a very popular means of transportation in the country.

Tickets for boarding can be purchased at the ticketing offices at the boarding station an hour before departure of the train. But it is highly recommended that you reserve your tickets well in advance at any reservation office, anywhere in the country. You can also buy reservations from authorised travel agents. Reservation would guarantee you a berth on the train. If you purchase the ticket at the counter before boarding, it will only let you get into the train but won't guarantee a seat. Moreover, in many trains, the bogies for reserved and ordinary tickets are different and not equally comforting. Not reserving a ticket might be very uncomfortable on the extra long journeys.

In case you cannot reserve a berth, it is useful to talk to the Ticket Checker on the train. He/she, for a small fee, would arrange a berth in a reserved bogie, if any are available against cancellations. Please do not try to bribe the TCs. It is illegal and unethical.Very recently, Indian Railways came up with an online reservation system. You can check their website at Indian Railway for latest train timetables of trains plying through Hospet. To reserve your tickets through their website, visit their online reservation portal by clicking here .

Some useful information:

Indian Railways Official Website: http://www.indianrailways.gov.in/
Indian Railways Reservation Website: http://www.irctc.co.in/