Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Feb 26: As per reliable sources, the newly announced Yeshwantpur-Vasco (Goa)-Yeshwantpur (06587/88) daily super fast train may never see the light of the day. On the other hand, efforts are on to divert the current Karwar train (16523/24 and 16513/14) via Padil bypass route.

This notion was reinforced by certain suggestions mooted by leaders of the local Railway Yatri Sangha at a function in which MP Shobha Karandlaje was present and some other developments connected with the said efforts which happened on Friday last.

Representational image

The proposal is to split the Bengaluru-Mangaluru-Kannur-Karwar train at Subrahmanya and sending the divided train to Karwar with separate engine via Padil. Efforts are also on to make sure that the train after getting divided at Subrahmanya should reach Mangaluru Junction and Central before leaving for Kannur. A section of the officials are trying to achieve that.

Currently the train between Bengaluru and Karwar runs mostly empty as it runs very late. Shobha Karandlaje said that running empty train is not practicable and therefore discussions are being conducted with an eye in making the passengers to use this train by making the train more convenient for the passengers.

Initially, it was planned to run the old train on Padil route but at the last minute, office bearers of certain organizations brought pressure on the central government and got a new train to Goa via Karwar sanctioned. But many are not interested in this train as railway officials have indicated that this train may not survive because of proposed losses, and the chances of making some changes in the existing train are more.

Padil does not have the facility to split the compartments. Therefore, the railways have to delink the compartments at Subrahmanya. But there are problems here as the train with more compartments has to leave the railway station first. As per this plan, Mangaluru Junction-Central-Kannur train having 13 compartments has to start first. After this train reaches Yedamangala station which is nine kilometres away, the nine-compartment Karwar train has to leave Subrahmanya. But in this arrangement, Karwar train will get delayed, points out Anil Hegde, technical adviser of Railway Yatri Sangha.

As the process of dividing the train takes between 20 and 30 minutes, the train will reach Mangaluru with a delay of about 30 minutes.

There are also discussions on the possibility of making the current Karwar train to move via Padil and then run the Goa train too via Padil. Some opine that providing the new train and maintaining the current rain timing as it is may solve all the problems of the passengers but the railways will be inclined to do that if it economically viable.