Demands, opposition fom Railway Yatri Sangha

Demands, opposition fom Railway Yatri Sangha

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Dec 08, 2016: Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Railway Yatri Sangha president R L Dias said that  Railway Yatri Sangha has strongly objected the discontinuation of the Yeshwanthpur-Mangaluru-Karwar tri-weekly day train from Mangaluru to Karwar shortly as informed by the South Western Railway.

The train facility should continue as it has benefited many people travelling from Mangaluru to Karwar. Action should be taken against unnecessary delay in the train arrival. He demanded that the train reach the destinations on time and added that he has the tentative time table for the Yeshwanthpur-Mangaluru-Karwar night train, which should be taken up for consideration.

R L Dias said the Yeshwanthpur-Mangaluru weekly train was sanctioned by the former railway minister Mallikarjuna Kharge and inaugurated as Salem-Kannur-Mangaluru train. This was a major blow for train commuters from Mangaluru as it was earlier destined to reach Mangaluru via Hassan.

He said Konkan Railway was completed in 1998 and its jurisdiction was up to Nethravathi Bridge. There is a priority demand to form Mangaluru division from that point to Madgaon under Konkan Railway. Nearly Rs 4.5 crore of the annual income of Mangaluru port and other industries go to Southern Railway. If a Mangaluru division is formed under Konkan Railway, it will be able to double the Mangaluru-Mumbai railway line with this income.

Dias said there is need for an alternative Nandikur-Karkala-Ujre-Charmadi-Mudigere railway line. The Sangha had suggested the alternative about seven years ago. The Railway has failed to take up any step to survey the line. The alternative line would sort out the problem in delay of the Mangaluru-Yeshwanthpur train. The railway line from Sakleshpur to Subrahmanya road railway station is 51 kilometres. Each train takes 2.30 hours to reach the destination and return on the line. Hence the Mangaluru-Yeshwanthpur train takes 10 hours a day.

Dias added that suggestion is frequently made by Udupi-Chikkamagaluru MP for a new survey for line from Shivamogga to Mangaluru via Sringeri, which is not viable. There is a wild life sanctuary in the proposed area and Sringeri-Karkala forest is a reserve forest area.

Many people from Mangaluru, Udupi and Karwar live along the 18 stations of Western Railway from Dadar to Naigaon. Therefore the Railway Yatri Sangha demanded for a weekly-once train from Bandra to Mangaluru via Vasai Road. In this respect, the regional railway manager, Konkan Railway, Karwar, had written a letter to the Western Railway, who had replied that the proposal could not be considered for many reasons. However, simultaneously, the Western Railway has also assured that to ease the rush of festivals, special trains are sanctioned to Madgaon and Ratnagiri on the same route, said Dias.

He added that when the Western Railway could object to a train to Mangaluru, it was strange that the objection was not applicable to other trains on the same route. He added that the Sangha demands a weekly train from Vasco of Goa to Thanjavur and from there to Vailankanni, which would benefit both Hindu and Christian pilgrims.