City-M’lore train by April?

City-M’lore train by April?
From Ronald Anil Fernandes
DH News Service Mangalore:
The Mangalore-Bangalore passenger train service via Hassan is likely to start by end of April or beginning of May, putting an end to endless promises by people’s representatives, innumerable protests and submission of memorandums.

The Mangalore-Bangalore service was discontinued in September 1996 for gauge conversion.

The work was to be completed in a year!

The Railway Board sanctioned the gauge conversion work between Hassan and Mangalore in 1994-95. In 1996, the government decided to convert metre gauge line into broad gauge, which led to suspension of cargo and passenger services.

Though the work was completed in 2005, the passenger train is yet to take off.

SWR General Manager Triloknath Perti had said in November 2005 the service would start by January 2006, while Union Minister for State for Railways R Velu promised (in 2005) the Hassan-Mangalore railway line would be completed before the commencement of Mahamastakabhisheka at Shravanabelagola in February 2006.

Though the Mangalore-Hassan stretch was commissioned for freight traffic on May 5, 2006, Commissioner for Railway Safety (CRS) had approve it. “On getting CRS clearance, these services will commence,” a senior official said.“CRS P K Sen is on leave till April 9; he may inspect the line any time thereafter.”

The Railways will run two trains on Mangalore-Bangalore (Yeshwanthpur) line. One train will run via Arsikere, while the other will reach Yeshwanthpur via Mysore.

Distance reduced

Currently, the distance from Mangalore to Chennai on Southern Railway route via Palakkad is 900 km and the running time 18 hours.

But the distance between these cities via Bangalore is 725 km and the running time just under 13 hours.