7 pair of trains in Bangalore-Mangalore route

Bangalore, Aug 22: The Railways Safety Commissionerate gave permission to operate limited number of both passenger and goods trains between Bangalore-Mangalore sector.

Informing the media, Manager Mr Praveen Kumar said after placing the newly-installed Online Train Enquiry Kiosks, with touch screen interface, at the Banglore Railway Station, South Western Railway General, the Railway Safety Commissioner gave agreed to run seven pairs of trains in the newly convert broadguage section between Bangalore and Mangalore.

He said train services between Mangalore and Bangalore were likely to start by the end of September this year.

''The train service connecting Bangalore to the coastal town of Mangalore is expected to boost the economic activities in the region'', he added.

Taking into consideration the increased passenger traffic in the zone, especially in the Banglore division, SWR had sent a proposal to construct a third railway terminal at Byappanahalli in the city, he informed.

The proposal envisaged for building a world-class railway station with an estimated cost of over Rs 65 crore.

Passengers at the proposed Byappanahalli Railway station would get all the facilities that were available at Airports, he said.

He said the SWR had also sent proposal to start Bangalore-Shimoga Intercity Passenger Train, adding that the Railway Ministry had sanctioned Rs 834 crore to SWR for infrastructure development during 2007-08.

The doubling work between Yesvantpur and Tumkur was in advanced stage and two block sections would be opened shortly, he said and added the doubling of Kengeri-Ramanagaram was also in progress.

The work of laying new line from Tumkur to Rayadurga, double line with electrification from Ramangaram to Mysore, and survey for a new line from Satya Sai Prashanti Nilayam to Kadri had also been sanctioned, he said.

UNI