PIL seeks shorter route train to Karwar from Bengaluru

The High Court of Karnataka on Monday ordered notice to the chairman and managing director of Hassan Mangaluru Railway Development Corporation Limited, general manager of South-Western Railway and the state government in a PIL seeking shorter route train service to Karwar from Bengaluru.

The petitioner, Sanjay Revankar, has sought a separate train service to Karwar as the present one takes more than 18 hours to reach Karwar from Bengaluru. He has contended that the existing train to Karwar travels via Ramanagaram, Mysuru, Hassan. Instead a separate train service can be provided to Karwar via Kunigal, Kankanady, Udupi and Bhatkal.

Though four trains have been sanctioned for the Sakaleshpur-Subrahmanya Road route, the railway authorities are reluctant to start a separate train service to Karwar.

The petitioner has said that the railway authorities are giving vague excuses for running the train through ghat sections despite the railway minister showing interest for a separate route.  A division bench headed by Chief Justice S K Mukherjee ordered notices and adjourned the hearing.