Madgaon-Mangaluru MEMU does not cater to demand in morning and evening

Patrons demand daily service to suit office and hospital timings for regular commuters between Karwar and Mangaluru

Hopes of train patrons to get a passenger train service from Karwar to Mangaluru at timings convenient to office-goers and those visiting hospitals did not materialise after the restoration of the Madgaon-Mangaluru Central Mainline Electrical Multiple Unit (MEMU) as the service runs on the timing of its predecessor, a Diesel Electrical Multiple Unit (DEMU).

While the erstwhile DEMU (Train No. 70105) used to leave Madgaon at 5 a.m. to reach Mangaluru Central at 12.15 p.m., the MEMU (Train No. 10107) leaves Madgaon at 5.15 am to reach Central at 12.15 pm. On the return trip, Train No. 70106 DEMU used to leave Mangaluru Central at 2.45 p.m. to reach Madgaon at 10.30 p.m. while Train No. 10108 also leaves Central at 2.45 p.m. to reach Madgaon at 10 p.m.

“There is no daily morning passenger train service from Karwar to Mangaluru. The MEMU’s timetable should have been designed in such a manner that the train reaches Mangaluru Central by 10 a.m.,” said Dattu Bhatkal, a regular commuter. “The timing should have helped hundreds of coastal commuters who are unable to derive the benefits of the railway infrastructure in the region to the maximum. The MEMU should have left Mangaluru Central after 4.30 p.m. to help office-goers, those visiting hospitals, and businesspersons.”

There is no daily evening train from Mangaluru towards Karwar to cater to the needs of daily passengers, Mr. Bhatkal said.

Kamalakara Prabhu from Murdeshwar said, “Three services leave Mangaluru back-to-back every day. Train No. 12134 Mangaluru Junction-Mumbai CSMT Superfast leaves at 2 p.m. Train No. 12620 Mangaluru Central-Mumbai LTT leaves at 2.20 p.m. The Mangaluru Central-Madgaon MEMU (10108) leaves Central at 2.45 p.m. But, there is no service after 2.45 p.m. other than the Yesvantpur-Karwar tri-weekly Express (16515) from Mangaluru Junction.

Sources in the railways told The Hindu that Southern Railway’s Palakkad division is unwilling to hold the MEMU rake for longer duration at Mangaluru Central owing to paucity of platforms. Officials are not open to patrons’ suggestion to stable the rake either at the goods shed or at Ullal till two new additional under-construction platforms are ready. At the same time, the Railway Board is holding up Konkan Railway Corporation’s proposal to change the timetable of the MEMU.