Mangalore-Bangalore train services from Dec 8

Bangalore, Nov 23: The long standing demand of the people of south coastal districts in Karnataka will be met with South Central Railway introducing Mangalore-Yeswantpur passenger train services from December eight.

The inaugural run between Mangalore and Yesvantpur, in this city, would be flagged off by Union Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav from Mangalore railway station.

The express train will run via Mysore city. The train No 6517 leaves Yesvantpur daily at 2035 hrs and arrive at Mangalore at 0740 hrs the next day. On the return it leaves Mangalore at 1945 hrs and arrives in Yesvantpur at 0740 hrs the next day.

A Mangalore report said the announcement of date for the train service gave a much needed respite to the people of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts as road journey had become miserable due to bad condition of the highway.

Several organisations and the individuals had protested against the inordinate delay of commissioning of Mangalore-Bangalore passenger train service through dharna, Rail Roko programmes at several railway stations and relay hunger strikes.

Ultimately the railways announced the commissioning of the passenger train service.

Prior to commissioning of the passenger train service, an experimental train with maximum 18 bogies from Bangalore which left Bangalore yesterday at 2345 hrs reached Subramanya Railway station at 0700 hrs today. It would leave Subramanya at 2200 hrs.

Assistant Mechanical Engineer Mohan and other staffs accompanied the experimental train. Though this train was scheduled to arrive at Mangalore earlier, the schedule was change at the last moment.

Though the track in the hilly terrain from Sakleshpura to Subramanya road was converted to broad gauge after long years the passenger train service could not commence due to mainly safety reasons.

Ultimately recently, the Railway safety commission gave the green signal to run the passenger train service on the newly laid broad gauge railway line. During last one year period, six dates were announced by the railways for commissioning the passenger train service which were subsequently postponed.

UNI