JOIN USYeshwantpur-Karwar Train chugs off
The Yeshwantpur-Kannur Express was flagged off on Thursday, bringing cheer on the faces of people who have been demanding the train for over two years.
The Yeshwantpur-Mangalore-Karwar Express was flagged off at Mangalore Central Railway Station.
The train, which was bifurcated from the Yeshwantpur-Kannur-Yeshwantpur Express (Train No 16517/16518), will have 13 coaches including two luggage cum brake van, eight sleeper coaches, one AC 2-tier coach, one AC 3-tier coach and one general coach.
The train to Kannur will have five coaches - - one luggage cum brake van, two sleeper coaches, one AC 3-tier coach and one general coach.
The Yeshwantpur -Karwar Express (Train No 16523), which will start from Yeshwantpur at 8.35 pm, reaches Mangalore Central Railway Station at 8.40 am and then leave for Karwar at 9 am.
The train will reach Karwar at 2 pm. In return, the Karwar-Yeshwantpur Express will start at 2.40 pm from Karwar and reach Mangalore Central Railway Station at 8.20 pm. From Mangalore, after joining with Kannur-Yeshwantpur Express, the train will start at 8.55 pm to Yeshwantpur and reach, there by 8.55 am, the following day.
Rajya Sabha MP Oscar Fernandes flagged off the Karwar Express from Mangalore. Fernandes, in his address, demanded the Railways to lay another track between Mangalore and Karwar, in order to increase the rail traffic.
Union Minister of State for Railways K H Muniyappa said that he will try for separate trains to Karwar and Kannur from Yeshwantpur.
“Kannur and Karwar are two eyes of Indian Railways. One is not bigger than other,” he said.
Pointing out to the difficulties faced by passengers, like changing their coaches at Mangalore, he said, “The passengers with reservation would have some difficulties, but by January next, the Railways will make arrangements to sort out the issue.”
He said that the Railways will develop all the railway stations from Thiruvananthapuram to Mumbai. The stations would be provided with facilities like platforms, restaurants, sheds and basic needs. He asked the Southern Railways and Konkan Railways to submit a detailed report in this regard.
Demands
Dakshina Kannada MP Nalin Kumar Kateel demanded a separate railway division for Mangalore and a separate train for Karwar from Yeshwanthpur.
He also wanted work on railway over bridge on NH-66 at Baikampady should be speeded up. Mangalore MLA U T Khader opined that Railways have not come out from the colonial hang over.
“The Railway authorities are not approachable for common man. For every single need, we have to go to Delhi to solve,” he said. Karnataka Assembly Deputy Speaker N Yogish Bhat demanded the Railways to speed up the process on the construction of over bridges at Jeppu Kudpadi and Padil.
PRS at Kundapur, Surathkal
Konkan Railways Corporation Limited Managing Director B P Dayal said that Passenger Reservation System (PRS) Centre will be started in Kundapur and Surathkal soon.
Udupi-Chikmagalur MP Jaya Prakash Hegde, Bantwal MLA Ramanth Rai, Palakkad Division Divisional Railway Manager Piyush Agarwal, Mayor Gulzar Banu were present.