KRCL to provide bridge-service for passengers

With Southern Railways failing to restore traffic on the landslide-affected stretch in Kulshekar on the Mangaluru-Mumbai route, Konkan Railway Corporation Limited, (KRCL) has decided to provide bridge-service to passengers on two popular trains from Saturday.

“The Nizamuddin-Ernakulam (Train No 12618) Mangala Lakshadweep Express and the Mumbai LTT-Thiruvananthapuram (16345) Netravathi Express departing on Thursday and Friday will be operated on the Konkan Railway Network and passengers will be transported through buses from Surathkal to Mangaluru railway Junction,” Haridas D Gujarati, KRCL’s director (Operations), said.

Gujarati, who had visited the landslide-affected area with his officers and staff on Thursday took stock of the situation and interacted with officials in Southern Railways.

“KRCL’s attempt is to alleviate the woes of passengers who have been forced to travel for long hours on diverted routes or facing cancellation of trains. There may be some inconvenience to them while changing from train to bus and then to train; but they would saving considerable amount of time,” he said.

Southern Railways laid the base for the parallel track of 400 metres at the affected stretch on Thursday and was hopeful of laying concrete sleepers and rails by Friday.

Cancellation, diversion

With the track not having been restored, trains either remained cancelled or diverted on alternative routes.

The Bengaluru-Karwar trains remained cancelled between Mangaluru and Karwar. The two Mangaluru-Mumbai-Mangaluru trains and one Mangaluru-Madgaon-Madgaon DEMU passenger, however, continue to be operated out of Surathkal. Two Mangaluru-Madgaon-Mangaluru trains, one passenger and one intercity, scheduled to depart on Friday, were also cancelled.

Officials at the Kulshekar work site said intermittent rain had triggered fresh slurry and water into the area delaying the work even as the authorities deployed water pumps to drain out water.

Divisional Railway Manager of Palakkad Division Pratap Singh Shami continued to supervise the restoration works at the site that was carried out on Thursday.