Activists seek early departure of Mangaluru-Yeshwantpur day train

They also seek compulsory crossing of Bengaluru-Karwar-Bengaluru Panchaganga Express pairs at Sirivagilu station

Railway activists from Mangaluru have urged South Western Railway (SWR) to address several pressing issues of the region, including advancing the departure of Mangaluru Junction-Yeshwantpur day train express to 7 am.

Train No. 16576 Mangaluru Junction-Yeshwantpur tri-weekly Gomateshwara Express leaves Mangaluru Junction at 11.30 am and reaches Yeshwantpur at 8.45 pm. Train No. 16540 Mangaluru Junction-Yeshwantpur weekly express leaves Mangaluru Junction at 9 am on Sundays and reaches Yeshwantpur at 8.20 pm.

Activists G.K. Bhat and V. Raveesh told SWR’s Mysuru Divisional Railway Manager Rahul Agarwal that the departure as well as arrival timings are highly inconvenient for passengers.

During a meeting with Mr. Agarwal in Mysuru on June 13, the activists sought Mysuru division’s intervention in advancing departure timing of these trains at Mangaluru Junction to 7 am and arrival timing at Yeshwantpur to 4.15 pm. While commuters face difficulty reaching their final destination in Bengaluru as the trains reach Yeshwantpur late in the day, advancing the arrival timing would help them even complete emergency work in Bengaluru and board the return train (16511 Bengaluru-Kannur Express that leaves Bengaluru at 9..35 pm), they said.

Their pairing services, Train Nos. 16575 and 16539, should start at 9 am from Yeshwantpur instead of 7 am, the activists said.

They suggested that the Up and Down Bengaluru-Karwar-Bengaluru overnight Panchaganga Express (16595/596) should cross each other at Sirivagilu station on the Sakleshpur-Subrahmanya Road Ghat section to minimise the detention of Bengaluru-Kannur Express on the ghat section. Of late, the Bengaluru-Karwar Express arrives late at Sakleshpur station causing delay in the movement of Kannur Express, they claimed.

They demanded that the Mangaluru Central-Mysuru tri-weekly Express (16586) leave Central at 6.55 pm instead of 6.35 pm, and make Train Nos. 16585/586 a daily service.