Despite repeated pleas by patrons, Southern Railway not inclined to extend Gomateshwara and CSMT Express to Mangaluru Central

Southern Railway fails to extend popular trains to Mangaluru Central despite promises, citing infrastructure constraints and delays.

Notwithstanding its earlier assurances to extend the Yeshwantpur-Mangaluru Junction tri-weekly Gomateshwara and Mumbai CSMT-Mangaluru Junction Superfast Express to Mangaluru Central after commissioning of the additional platforms at the Central, the Southern Railway is not inclined to honour its words.

SR’s Palakkad Division that administers Mangaluru Railway Region had been citing ‘platform constraint’ as the reason for not extending the two popular trains to Mangaluru Central for many years. Even after additional platforms, PF 4 and 5 were commissioned last year, it did not extend the services while extending Train No. 07377/378 Vijayapura-Mangaluru Junction-Vijayapura Express Special to Mangaluru Central.

When reporters raised the issue with Minister of State for Railways V. Somanna here on Saturday (April 12, 2025), Divisional Railway Manager of Palakkad Division Arun Kumar Chaturvedi said the extension was not possible at least for one more year as many infrastructure works were still underway. Mr. Chaturvedi had told The Hindu in February that the train could be extended in April after commissioning one more stabling line at Central.

The Southern Railway headquarter, too, has been giving divergent views on the extension. While it had agreed for the extension of the Gomateshwara Express (Train No. 16575/576) in February 2024, it changed the stance in June saying the extension was not feasible. The Railway Ministry was unmoved even after Dakshina Kannada MP Captain Brijesh Chowta made a fervent appeal in August 2024.

Paschima Karavali Railway Yatri Abhivriddhi Samithi President and member of Palakkad Divisional Railway Users’ Consultative Committee G. Hanumanth Kamath said both Gomateshwara as well as CSMT (Train No. 12133/134) were sanctioned to operate out of Mangaluru Central by the Railway Ministry. The Southern Railway, however, had been postponing the operation citing platform constraints.

With the revised timetable of Gomateshwara Express as well as Mangaluru Junction-Yeshwantpur Weekly (Sundays) Express (Train No. 16540), the services now leave Junction at 7 a.m. to reach Yeshwantpur at 4.30 p.m. This was highly beneficial to patrons who could reach their destinations in Bengaluru well in time, Mr. Kamath said. Mangalureans badly needed a daytime train connectivity to Bengaluru from the City, Mr. Kamath said. He also said the weekly express to Yeshwantpur on Sundays should also be extended to Central.

The Samithi also wanted the CSMT Express extended to Central for the benefit of patrons travelling to and from Mumbai. The number of coaches, from the present 16, should be increased to at least 22, Mr. Kamath demanded.