Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru

Mangaluru, Jun 7: Responding to long-standing public demand, the South Western Railway (SWR) has revised the departure timing of the Mangaluru Central–Vijayapura Express Special (Train No. 07378). With effect from July 1, the train will now depart from Mangaluru Central at 4:45 pm instead of the earlier 2:35 pm

In addition to this change, the SWR has also extended the operation of the special train service between Vijayapura and Mangaluru Central (Train No. 07377/07378) for another six months, from July to December 2025, as per a Railway Board notification dated June 5. However, despite growing demand for regular service status, the Railway Ministry continues to operate it as a “Train on Demand,” resulting in higher ticket fares for passengers.

Revised Departure Timings (Train No. 07378):

Station                     New Departure                  Existing Departure

Subrahmanya Road     7:00 pm                           5:50 pm

Hassan                      10:30 pm                         8:38 pm

Davangere                 1:50 am                           12:00 am

Haveri                       3:02 am                           1:21 am

Hubballi                     4:50 am                           3:15 am

Gadag                       6:20 am                           4:50 am

Bagalkot                   7:58 am                           6:35 am

Arrival Vijayapura      11:15 am                         9:35 am

There is no change in the timing of Train No. 07377 from Vijayapura to Mangaluru Central, which continues to depart at 3 pm and arrive at 9:50 am the next day.

The revised evening departure from Mangaluru has been widely welcomed, particularly by office-goers, students, and pilgrims who had faced inconvenience due to the earlier afternoon schedule. The Dakshina Kannada Rail Users, a prominent online passenger forum, hailed the move as a return to the much-preferred pre-Covid schedule, especially beneficial for pilgrims travelling from Kukke Subrahmanya, Dharmasthala, and commuters from Bantwal, Puttur, and Hassan to Vijayapura.

The Forum credited the revision to relentless efforts by railway activists, public representatives, and forums who voiced concerns to officials of the Mysuru and Hubballi railway divisions.

Meanwhile, the demand for regularisation of the service continues, as passengers are still burdened with premium fares associated with special trains. The Forum urged the Railway Ministry to consider the genuine needs of common passengers and convert the train into a regular express service.