Night train to Bengaluru sought

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Jan 3, 2015: Minister for Railways Suresh Prabhu has been urged to immediately introduce one more night express train between Bengaluru and Mangaluru in view of the closure of Shiradi Ghat for reconstruction for a period of six months.

Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI) managing committee member Prakash Mandoth, also a Railways enthusiast, wrote to Mr. Prabhu seeking his intervention in the matter. The night train should be introduced via Tumkur and Arsikere as the route was shorter by 50 km compared to the route via Mysuru, he said in the letter.

Mr. Mandoth said the train should ideally leave Bengaluru and Mangaluru at around 10 p.m. so that it benefits the entrepreneur class as well as students. He said more than 550 private as well as KSRTC buses make daily trips between the capital city and the coastal city, and with the Ghat’s closure, the buses would take a circuitous route, thereby delaying the journey. The Railways should introduce one more train in public interest, he said.

Stating that at least four pairs of trains were required to cater to the requirements of the coastal region and the Bengaluru region, Mr. Mandoth regretted that the Railways had not been receptive to the demand for many years. People had to fight legal battle to get the two existing trains — one day and one night — running, and the express train recently announced by the former Railway Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda was yet to start, he said.

Similar views were expressed by the administration too. Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner A.B. Ibrahim, chairing a meeting on Shiradi Ghat closure, had urged the Railways to run more trains for the benefit of passengers.

 

Courtesy: The Hindu