Passenger associations demand coach watering facility, stabling lines on KRCL network in Udupi, Uttara Kannada districts

Railway patrons in Udupi and Uttara Kannada districts demand improvements in facilities and services for better passenger experience.

Railway patrons and passenger associations of Udupi and Uttara Kannada districts have planned to flag certain major concerns of the region, including lack of coach watering facility, stabling lines and upgradation of Udupi Railway Station under Amrit Bharat Station Scheme (ABSS) with Minister of State for Railways V. Somanna when he visits Udupi district on Friday, June 13.

The Railways was unable to start or terminate any train either at Karwar or Udupi as the Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd., (KRCL) has not provided coach watering facility in any of the stations in coastal Karnataka, regretted Kundapura Railway Prayanikara Samithi president Ganesh Puthran. While KRCL claims watering facility was available within about 350 km distance--at Mangaluru Junction and Madgaon--the possibility of operating trains towards Bengaluru via Padil Bypass without touching Mangaluru Junction gets affected. Therefore, KRCL should introduce coach watering facility either at Udupi or Kundapura Railway Station, Mr. Puthran demanded.

He further said KRCL has not provided stabling lines at any of the stations on the entire Karnataka coast thereby making it difficult to stable trains for a few hours. Consequently, trains, either special or regular, have to resume return journey immediately thereby inconveniencing people, he noted.

Besides urging the Railway Ministry to immediately sanction KRCL proposal to develop Udupi Railway Station under ABSS, Kundapura Railway Station too should be developed under the shceme, Mr. Puthran demanded. Also, important stations in coastal Karnataka lack adequate platform shelters as well as shelters for foot overbridges. KRCL should address this serious shortcoming on priority basis, he demanded.

Uttara Kannada Railway Samithi Secretary Rajiv Gaonkar demanded low level second platforms at important stations, including Kumta and Gokarna Road, should be upgraded immediately for the benefit of passengers. Besides, there was no second platform at Barkur Railway Station near Brahmavara that causes severe misery to passengers if a train halts on the second line, he said.

Mr. Gaonkar said the Ministry should forthwith implement its own decision, to extend Train No. 16585/586 SMVT Bengaluru-Murdeshwar-SMVT Bengaluru to Vasco da Gama so as to resume the lost connectivity between Karwar and Mysuru regions. He also demanded development of Karwar Station under Amrit Bharat Scheme.