BANGALORE: The announcement by Railway Minister Lalu Prasad that two trains will be introduced between Bangalore and Mangalore after gauge conversion may not materialise before he presents the Railway Budget for 2006-07.

General Manager of South Western Railway (SWR) T.N. Perti said here on Friday that it may not be possible to run passenger trains on the route before March this year. Heavy rain and frequent landslips have affected gauge conversion between Sakleshpur and Subramanya Road railway stations. The SWR is running goods trains on the section, he added.

About allegations that the tourist bus lobby is pressuring the Government to delay the service, Mr. Perti said the work was disrupted by rain and landslips. Goods train services, which should have commenced in August last, began only recently because of the delay in completion of gauge conversion, he added.

To a question on the demand for including the Mangalore section under the SWR (it is now under the Palakkad Division of Southern Railway), Mr. Perti said there is no such proposal.

SWR Chief Administrative Officer (Construction) Manoj Kumar said the doubling of the Bangalore-Ramanagara section on the Bangalore-Mysore line may be completed in the next financial year despite the State Government's failure to provide 65 per cent of funds needed for the project.

The Railway Board has sought a commitment from the State Government to meet 50 per cent of the cost of the project. Mr. Kumar said the 43-km stretch between Hassan and Shravanabelagola on the proposed Bangalore-Hassan line has been completed at a cost of Rs. 150 crores, and land acquisition for laying a line between Bangalore and Shravanabelagola (120 km) is going on. The SWR will start work after the State Government hands over land, he added.

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