Bangalore-Mangalore train service likely to be delayed

Bangalore-Mangalore train service likely to be delayed
New Indian Express

BANGALORE: Heavy rains and consequent landslides in the Western Ghat areas are likely to further delay the opening of the Bangalore-Mangalore section of the South Western Railways (SWR) for passenger traffic, SWR general manager I V Perti informed on Monday.

Ruling out passenger traffic between Bangalore-Mangalore by the year-end, he told newspersons here on the occasion of completion of 25 years of service by the Bangalore Railway Division that goods train was being run on a trial basis. Last year, over 14 landslides occurred and already two landslides were reported this monsoon, causing derailment of a goods train in the section.

Perti said that following massive landslides, the railway authorities have embarked on further strengthening the sideways, bridges and culverts all along the Ghat section of the line. It was also proposed to replace the present wooden sleepers with steel ones. The railway safety authorities were inspecting the present line and once they were satisfied with the safety standards, passengers trains would be run in the section.

On the proposed Hubli-Ankola section, he said joint survey with the State Forest Department had been completed at the seven km stretch of the Western Ghats, for which the Union Environment and Forests Ministry had given clearance.

The state forest department officials were taking tree count to ascertain the exact number of trees to be cut for the proposed line.

To a question, Perti said the state government had not fully released its share of grants for doubling the Bangalore-Mysore line. The work was expected to be completed by the year-end till Ramanagaram section. The doubling work of Bangalore-Tumkur section was also on and by December it would be completed till Gollahalli, he added.

The Bangalore division, which had handled over 514 lakh passengers in 2005-06, had taken up a number of programmes to celebrate its silver jubilee.