Samithi opposes Southern Railway’s move to get Bengaluru-Kannur Express extended to Kozhikode

Mangalureans have already been suffering reduced berth availability after the train got extended to Kannur from Mangaluru after its introduction. Its extension to further down, to Kozhikode, would further affect the berth availability, said G. Hanumanth Kamath

Mangaluru-based Paschima Karavali Railway Yatri Abhivriddhi Samithi has strongly opposed Railway’s proposal to extend Bengaluru-Kannur-Bengaluru overnight Express (Train Nos. 16511/512) via Mangaluru Central to Kozhikode and said the move will decrease berths for patrons from Mangaluru and surrounding areas.

Samithi President G. Hanumanth Kamath told The Hindu that Mangalureans have already been suffering reduced berth availability after the train got extended to Kannur from Mangaluru after its introduction. Its extension to further down, to Kozhikode, would further affect the berth availability. He wondered the rationale behind the extension of the service to Kozhikode as already a daily service exists between Kannur and Yeshwantpur (Train Nos. 16528/527) via Salem.

Mr. Kamath recalled that the Samithi had to fight to get passenger service trains between Bengaluru and Mangaluru in 2009 after the meter gauge line between Hassan and Mangaluru was converted into broad gauge. Within no time, the then Minister of State for Railways E. Ahmed got the train extended to Kannur and much to the dismay of coastal Karnataka people. The Samithi would ask the South Western Railway (SWR) that owns the train not to extend the service to Kozhikode through Nalin Kumar Kateel, MP, he said.

Another Railway activist, who did not wish to be named, said the MP should immediately ask the SWR to oppose the proposal or else the same may be announced in the forthcoming Union Budget.

The extension proposal was in the air for about a year after Kozhikode MP reportedly met the General Manager of the South Western Railway last year with the demand for extension.

An RTI reply by Southern Railway as to its pending proposals before the Railway Board for new trains on January 13, 2023, revealed among other things, the extension of Bengaluru-Kannur Express to Kozhkode was still alive.

Asked whether the SWR has agreed for the proposal to extend the service to Kannur as it owns the train, a senior official said the same has to be verified.