Bangalore - Mangalore Day Train has No Stop at Mangalore Central!
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (SP)
Courtesy : Udayavani Daily
Mangalore, Apr 20: Preparations are on for extending the day train between Bangalore and the city to Karwar. This has been a long-pending demand of the people residing in the coast. In addition to people from Udupi, railway passengers from Kundapur, Bhatkal etc, also had brought pressure on the people’s representatives to provide them direct train link to the state’s headquarters.
The union railway minister had given in to the pressures and agitations, and announced extension of Mangalore-Yeshwanthpur train to Karwar in the recent budget. Count down has begun for the extension of the train, and revised time table is being worked out. In a few days, the train will run between Bangalore and Karwar. As per the new time schedule, the train will leave Karwar at 5.30 am, reach Mangalore Junction (Kankanady) station at 10.55 am, and reach Yeshwantpur at 10.45 pm. On Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, the train will begin its journey from Karwar, whereas on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, it will begin its journey from Yeshwanthpur at 7.30 am to reach the city at 5.45 pm and reach Karwar at 11 pm.
The revised timings and route have come in as a bolt from the blue for the travellers from the city. At present, this train begins its journey from Mangalore Central station at 8.40 am, and reach Bangalore at 7.30 pm. This timing is convenient for the people to begin their onward journeys, and reach their destinations in Bangalore by catching buses, autos or taxis from the railway station there. But, they will find it difficult to catch buses and other modes of transport after reaching Bangalore at 10.45 pm once the extension is given effect to, or else they will have to shell out double the money by way of auto fare. Another disadvantage of the revised time table is that the train will skip Mangalore Central railway station. It will touch Kankanady on the outskirts of the city, and move to Karwar directly from there. This railway station lacks proper connectivity, and people will have to spend heavily to reach this station and catch the train from there.
Reportedly, lack of additional tracks in Mangalore Central station has forced the Railway Board to think of skipping that station. Additionally, the fact that only three tracks are located in this station, and that they are always occupied by one train or the other between mornings and afternoon sessions, has rendered it impossible to route any trains to this station. Another reason put forth by the railway officials for deciding to run the train via Kankanady station is the need to earmark around 45 minutes more to reach the central railway station and go back to Kankanady, which will again extend the time the train reaches Bangalore.
The railway department is also considering the possibility of extending the train to Madgaon instead of Karwar because of lack of maintenance facilities in Karwar. The train will halt at Kankanady, Udupi, Byndoor, Bhatkal, Gokarn and Kumta stations once the train extension comes into force. But, skipping of Mangalore Central station will be a major handicap of this train, as far as commuters from the city and other places are concerned, particularly so because of poor bus connectivity to this railway station, and exorbitant charges demanded by auto rickshaws and taxis for ferrying people there.