RailEnquiry

The bifurcated Yeshwanthpur-Mangalore-Kannur Express was inaugurated in Mangalore on Thursday.Rajya Sabha MP Oscar Fernandes and Union minister of state for railways, KH Muniyappa, flagged off the train. It will be yet another express between Mangalore and Karwar that will benefit people on the West Coast. Railway activists’ organisations and Kannada activists expressed satisfaction upon bifurcation of the train route.In terms of connectivity from Bangalore to Karwar, it is a long-distance journey. Passengers will have to travel from Bangalore to Mandya, Mysore, KR Nagar, Hassan, Sakleshpur Mangalore, Udupi, Bhatkal, Honnavar to Karwar. Though the distance is 724 kilometres (Bangalore-Mysore-Mangalore is 422 kilometres and Mangalore-Karwar is 302 kilometres), the time taken to reach Karwar from Bangalore will be 18 hours. After the inauguration, Muniyappa indicated that a train might be started on Yeshwanthpur-Kannur route, covering Mangalore. DNA learnt from reliable sources that the number of passengers travelling between Bangalore and Kerala is much more than the number travelling between Bangalore and Mangalore. That is why there has to another train, connecting Bangalore and Kannur via Mangalore. Muniyappa said after the inauguration that both the ways, passengers on Bangalore-Mangalore route will be benefited as there will be more seats and berths for their route, keeping into account both the trains. He said efforts were on to increase the speed of Yeshwanthpur-Mangalore train. Muniyappa also hinted at renovation of railway stations. For this, the railways had floated a corporation that will improve the upkeep of the railway stations and improve passenger amenities. The minister said he want Southern Railways and Konkan Railway Corporation Limited to join hands and to make the railway stations better using the expertise that the new corporation has acquired.