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Long pending demand of direct train to Hyderabad materialises

A separate Railway division with Mangalore as Headquarters under South Western Railway Zone, which has been the top priority of Coastal City’s wish list since long back, has been once again overlooked.

The Railway Budget for 2013-14, which was tabled by Union Minister Pavan Kumar Bansal on Tuesday, has very little for Mangaloreans to cheer.

 Four new trains have been added to the kitty of Mangalore, besides extension of one Express train, a weekly train’s running frequency increased and a new Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) service from Bhatkal to Thokur. Mangalore-Hyderabad (Kacheguda), Mangalore-Bangalore, Kochuveli-Lokmanya Thilak (Mumbai) and Mangalore-Madgaon Intercity are the new trains.

While the first three are weekly trains, Intercity is a daily one.

Direct train to Hyderabad

The train connecting coastal city to Hyderabad has been a long pending demand put forth by elected representatives and various organisations of the Coastal region. The express train to Kacheguda will pass through Shornur, Coimbatore route.

A daily Superfast Train to Bangalore was also a long pending demand, since the existing Yeshwantpur-Karwar Express has been not fully beneficial to the people here. Train No. 12653 Mangalore-Thiruchirapally Express has been extended to Puduchery and the weekly Kochuveli-Chandigarh Express, made twice in a week. Mangalore’s demand for direct trains to Delhi, Mumbai and Hasan didn’t find any place in the budget.

Survey for third line

Apart from new trains, a survey for a third line between Shornur and Mangalore has been mentioned in the budget. Interestingly, the double line between the same, announced a decade ago still has not completed, along the Shornur-Thirunavaya strech. Mangalore Junction-Panambur, Mangalore Central-Nethravathi cabin, Mangalore Central-Mangalore Junction rail route also lacks double lane. The budget didn’t allot any fund for the railway line electrification process between Shornur and Panambur, a much needed one for the development of the region.

Though, electrification was announced long back, sources said the construction of even one of the substation, of the five needed, is yet to start. The fund was not earmarked exclusively for the development of the Mangalore Central, Mangalore Junction Stations, though an overall allotment for Palghat division has been mentioned.