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Objections to SWR affidavit, in High court, Kudla trains rerouting


Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, April 19,2017: According to reports, a Division Bench of the Karnataka High Court,  permitted petitioner Udupi Rail Yatri Sangha to file counter statement to SWR’s affidavit about the operation of Kudla Express.


Kudla Express


SWR,  informed the court that a train between Bengaluru City and Mangaluru Central would be introduced before March 31 in connection with a PIL petition by the Sangha. On April 17, Monday, it sought three more months to introduce the train. Petitioner’s advocate Puttige R. Ramesh, however, submitted that SWR has already introduced the train with the same number (16575/576) on a different route and different destinations (Yeshwantpur-Mangaluru Junction), prompting the court to direct him to file counter statement to SWR’s affidavit. South Western Railway to propose rerouting of Bengaluru-Karwar trains via Shravanabelagola

The South Western Railway (SWR) on April 18,  Tuesday decided to recommend to the Railway Board to divert Yeshwantpur-Karwar tri-weekly day express and Bengaluru-Karwar/Kannur daily night express via the newly opened Bengaluru-Hassan via Shravanabelagola line.

SWR took this decision at the meeting of Zonal Railway Users’ Consultative Committee (ZRUCC) in Hubballi, attended by among others MPs Pralhad Joshi, and Karadi Sanganna and General Manager Ashok Kumar Gupta.

The day train, 16515/516, presently runs via Arsikere and the night train 16523/524, 16517/518, run via Mysuru. SWR had earlier sought opinion from ZRUCC members regarding the diversion on the ground that the diversion would drastically reduce the travel time. ZRUCC member Vinay Kumar from Kadur toldThe Hindu that diverting the day train would deprive train facility to and from the coast for travellers from Hubballi and sought a connecting train from Arsikere to Hassan. He also said the Mysuru Chamber of Commerce and Industry opposed the move to divert the night express train as it was the only connecting train for people from Ramanagaram, Mandya, and Mysuru to the coast.

According to SWR’s Chief Public Relations Officer E. Vijaya, the users were convinced about providing connecting trains from Arsikere and Mysuru to Hassan to get into Karwar day and night trains. Finally, it was decided to send proposals to the Railway Board to allow SWR to reroute the two trains, she said. The approval might come within a month, Ms. Vijaya added.

With the diversion of tri-weekly day train, six-day a week day train service would be available between Bengaluru and the coast, Ms. Vijaya said. Already, train No. 16575/576, Yeshwantpur-Mangaluru Junction Kudla Express is operational on the newly commissioned shorter route.