Karnataka - Bangalore   

New train service to Karwar soon

BANGALORE: The extended service of Yeshwantpur-Mangalore Express day train (nos. 16515/16516) to Karwar is likely to begin next month even as passengers have expressed reservations about the proposed schedules.

In the Inter-Zone Railway Timetable Conference held earlier this month, the timings of the operation of the train were finalised. There is no change in the existing departure time of train no. 16515 from Yeshwantpur (7.30 a.m.) and its arrival time at Mangalore Junction (Kankanadi) at 5.45 p.m. The train will reach Karwar at 11 p.m.

On the return trip, train no. 16516 will leave Karwar at 5.30 a.m. and reach Kankanadi at 10.55 a.m. It will leave Kankanadi at 11.15 a.m. instead of 8.53 a.m. (the existing train arrives at Kankanadi at 8.52 a.m. from Mangalore Central) to reach Yeshwantpur at 10.45 p.m. instead of the present 7.30 p.m.

As per the revised timetable, the train will not touch Mangalore Central station.

The West Coast Rail Yatri Sangha, an umbrella organisation of various rail users' associations in the coastal region, is happy about the extension of the train to Karwar. It said Bangalore-Mangalore-Karwar train service had been a dream of the people from the coastal region.

Concern

It, however, said the timetable conference should not have omitted Mangalore Central from the route of the train as it was a nerve centre.

The sangha said Kankanadi was located far from the city and was poorly connected. Any extension of service had to be done from the original terminating station and not from a new station. If the train did not touch Mangalore Central, it would lose patronage, it added.

The sangha also said the revised schedules of the train were inconvenient to passengers. The journey hours should be reduced by increasing the speed of the train in non-Ghat sections, between Bangalore and Hassan and between Mangalore and Karwar. If the Yeshwantpur train leaves Karwar at 4 a.m., it could reach Mangalore at 8.15 a.m. and then Yeshwantpur at 7 p.m. This would be convenient for those travelling from Karwar, Kumta, Ankola, Honnavar, Bhatkal, Kundapur and Udupi to Mangalore as they could reach their office or college on time. And, as the train would reach Bangalore at 7 p.m., there would be no difficulty for passengers to reach their destinations in different parts of the city, the sangha said.

Receptive

South Western Railway (SWR) General Manager Kuldip Chaturvedi told The Hindu that the Railways was receptive to grievances and suggestions from passengers. “If the revised schedules are inconvenient, we will try to change the same for the convenience of passengers,” he said.

Budget initiatives

Mr. Chaturvedi said initiatives proposed in the Railway Budget would get implemented from July.

However, in the case of extension of Yeshwantpur-Mangalore Express to Karwar, the SWR was trying to launch the services much earlier, he added.

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