Daijiworld Media Network - Sullia (SP)

Sullia, Nov 7: Central Railway Board engineering division member S K Viju informed, that the long-awaited train services between Mangalore and Bangalore will not materialise in near future,  because of  the heavy goods train traffic on the line, landslides the line is prone to  because of natural calamiities etc.

He was speaking to reporters at the Subrahmanya railway station during a brief halt there aboard the special inspection train, undertaken to examine the condition of railway tracks between Hassan and Subrahmanya Road railway stations.

When reminded that the ore transportation has come down drastically, he said it is only a temporary phenomenon. The ore transportation might pick up within a couple of months, he thought and felt that passenger trains can be operated only if 75% of the goods train traffic are taken off.

At the same, it is learnt that the Hassan-Mangalore Railway Development Corporation is behind the decision of the railway ministry not to run passenger trains between Bangalore and Mangalore during the day. The Corporation, presently controlled by the central and state government which funded the conversion of the railway line into broad guage, is said to be not prepared to lose out the handsome income  it earns on account of goods train traffic. Th Corporatione clearly has an eye on revenue and not passenger welfare. While goods trains benefit both the state and the central governments, passenger trains bring income to the railway board alone.

Hence, unless the peoples' representatives and people of the region exert pressure on the said Corporation to change its stance, the day-run of the train might turn out to be day-dream.