Mangalore-Bangalore dream run coming closer

Mangalore-Bangalore dream run coming closer

The long awaited revival of the Mangalore-Bangalore passenger railway is complete and regular services will begin on December 8, as per the Railways’ plans.

A.J. Vinayak

What makes Mangalore different from other cities in Karnataka? It is the access of the city to all modes of transportation, be it road, air, sea or railway.

While the road network predominantly connects Mangalore with the rest of the State, airport is another link from Mangalore to Bangalore, Mumbai and many other areas in the country and with the Gulf region. New Mangalore Port is the gateway of Karnatak a for importers and exporters and for cruise traffic.

Though the city is well-linked with northern and southern India through the railway network, it lacked a direct passenger train link with the State capital — Bangalore. That problem will be solved from December 8, if the official confirmation by the Railways is any indication — that the Mangalore-Bangalore passenger railway service will begin on December 8 with the flagging off of the inaugural train by Mr Lalu Prasad Yadav, Union Railway Minister, in Mangalore.

Passenger train on Mangalore-Hassan-Bangalore route was stopped 11 years ago to convert the section from metre gauge to broad gauge.

The train journey between Mangalore and Bangalore, via Hassan, began way back in 1979 with the commissioning of the metre gauge track for traffic. After almost one-and-a-half decades, traffic on the route was stopped in 1996 for the gauge conversion work.

Besides track conversion, steps were also taken to construct two more stations for passenger traffic at Kadagaravalli and Arebetta, not there when there was metre gauge track.

The stretch between Mangalore and Hassan consists of both ghat and plain sections. The route between Sakleshpur and Subrahmanya Road stretch is a ghat section of 55 km on one in 15 gradients with 8 degree curve. Rest of the route is mostly plain.

With the completion of work on broad gauge conversion, movement of goods trains began on the route with the trial run in January 2006. The route was formally commissioned for freight traffic in May 2006.

However, commissioning of the route for passenger traffic was pending as it was waiting for clearance from the Commissioner of Railway Safety. While giving clearance for the line, the CRS had stipulated some conditions for running passenger trains on the route.

Though passenger train movement on the route was long-pending, it gathered momentum with the poor condition of roads on the ghat sections.

This affected the movement of buses on the road. Some times, it takes people around 14 to 16 hours to reach Bangalore from Mangalore and vice-versa, mainly because of the poor condition of roads and the traffic jams. After the closure of Shiradi Ghat — the main road link between Bangalore and Mangalore — for repair works, the situation further worsened. Alternative routes such as Charmadi ghat and Sampaje ghat are being used to run buses between Mangalore and Bangalore, the condition of roads is no better on these routes. In such a situation, a direct passenger train between Mangalore and Bangalore will provide relief to the people of the area.

The tentative schedule for running trains between Mangalore and Yeshwanthpur mentions only one train, via Mysore. The proposed duration of the journey will be around 12 hours.

While presenting the Railway Budget in 2006, Mr Lalu Prasad Yadav had mentioned the introduction of three trains — two between Mangalore and Yeshwanthpur in Bangalore and one between Mangalore and Shravanabelagola in Hassan district. According to that schedule, one train should have taken Mysore route and the other Arsikere junction.

A direct train to Bangalore from Mangalore will reduce the distance between northern Kerala and Bangalore.
Tourism potential

Once passenger traffic between Mangalore and Bangalore stabilises, the Railways can also look at introducing trains on Mangalore-Bangalore-Chennai and Mangalore-Arsikere-Hubli routes. Now, trains between Chennai and Mangalore go via Palghat in Kerala.

There is scope for harnessing the tourism potential of the region, provided some steps are initiated in this regard such as the introduction of ‘palace-on-wheels’ type of trains on the route.

As the present schedule mentions a night train, a day train would provide an opportunity to passengers to enjoy the scenic beauty of the ghat section between Sakleshpur and Subrahmanya Road stations. Mangalore-Bangalore dream run coming closer

The long awaited revival of the Mangalore-Bangalore passenger railway is complete and regular services will begin on December 8, as per the Railways’ plans.

A.J. Vinayak

What makes Mangalore different from other cities in Karnataka? It is the access of the city to all modes of transportation, be it road, air, sea or railway.

While the road network predominantly connects Mangalore with the rest of the State, airport is another link from Mangalore to Bangalore, Mumbai and many other areas in the country and with the Gulf region. New Mangalore Port is the gateway of Karnatak a for importers and exporters and for cruise traffic.

Though the city is well-linked with northern and southern India through the railway network, it lacked a direct passenger train link with the State capital — Bangalore. That problem will be solved from December 8, if the official confirmation by the Railways is any indication — that the Mangalore-Bangalore passenger railway service will begin on December 8 with the flagging off of the inaugural train by Mr Lalu Prasad Yadav, Union Railway Minister, in Mangalore.

Passenger train on Mangalore-Hassan-Bangalore route was stopped 11 years ago to convert the section from metre gauge to broad gauge.

The train journey between Mangalore and Bangalore, via Hassan, began way back in 1979 with the commissioning of the metre gauge track for traffic. After almost one-and-a-half decades, traffic on the route was stopped in 1996 for the gauge conversion work.

Besides track conversion, steps were also taken to construct two more stations for passenger traffic at Kadagaravalli and Arebetta, not there when there was metre gauge track.

The stretch between Mangalore and Hassan consists of both ghat and plain sections. The route between Sakleshpur and Subrahmanya Road stretch is a ghat section of 55 km on one in 15 gradients with 8 degree curve. Rest of the route is mostly plain.

With the completion of work on broad gauge conversion, movement of goods trains began on the route with the trial run in January 2006. The route was formally commissioned for freight traffic in May 2006.

However, commissioning of the route for passenger traffic was pending as it was waiting for clearance from the Commissioner of Railway Safety. While giving clearance for the line, the CRS had stipulated some conditions for running passenger trains on the route.

Though passenger train movement on the route was long-pending, it gathered momentum with the poor condition of roads on the ghat sections.

This affected the movement of buses on the road. Some times, it takes people around 14 to 16 hours to reach Bangalore from Mangalore and vice-versa, mainly because of the poor condition of roads and the traffic jams. After the closure of Shiradi Ghat — the main road link between Bangalore and Mangalore — for repair works, the situation further worsened. Alternative routes such as Charmadi ghat and Sampaje ghat are being used to run buses between Mangalore and Bangalore, the condition of roads is no better on these routes. In such a situation, a direct passenger train between Mangalore and Bangalore will provide relief to the people of the area.

The tentative schedule for running trains between Mangalore and Yeshwanthpur mentions only one train, via Mysore. The proposed duration of the journey will be around 12 hours.

While presenting the Railway Budget in 2006, Mr Lalu Prasad Yadav had mentioned the introduction of three trains — two between Mangalore and Yeshwanthpur in Bangalore and one between Mangalore and Shravanabelagola in Hassan district. According to that schedule, one train should have taken Mysore route and the other Arsikere junction.

A direct train to Bangalore from Mangalore will reduce the distance between northern Kerala and Bangalore.
Tourism potential

Once passenger traffic between Mangalore and Bangalore stabilises, the Railways can also look at introducing trains on Mangalore-Bangalore-Chennai and Mangalore-Arsikere-Hubli routes. Now, trains between Chennai and Mangalore go via Palghat in Kerala.

There is scope for harnessing the tourism potential of the region, provided some steps are initiated in this regard such as the introduction of ‘palace-on-wheels’ type of trains on the route.

As the present schedule mentions a night train, a day train would provide an opportunity to passengers to enjoy the scenic beauty of the ghat section between Sakleshpur and Subrahmanya Road stations.