THE HINDU Today's Paper » NATIONAL » KARNATAKA

Mangalore, July 7, 2014

‘Important cities, towns in State lack connectivity to Bangalore’

Anil Kumar Sastry

If provided, it will ensure affordable travel for thousands: FKCCI official

Ahead of the Railway Budget, Railway Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda has been urged to sanction several new inter-State trains as well as trains within the State.

Important cities and towns in Karnataka still lacked adequate rail connectivity to the State headquarters. If provided, it would ensure affordable and comfortable travel for thousands of people, said Prakash Mandoth, one of the directors of the Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry and former member of Zonal Railway Users’ Consultative Committee of Southern Railway and South Western Railway.

‘Have urged Minister’

Mr. Mandoth, who interacts with successive Railway Ministers, told The Hindu that he had urged Mr. Gowda to sanction several inter-city trains in the State, including Chikmagalur–Bangalore; Harihar/Davangere–Bangalore and Mangalore–Bangalore AC express. He said that he had also sought introduction of inter-State trains, including Bangalore–Mumbai AC superfast; Bangalore–Rameswaram, and Bangalore–Nizamuddin Rajdhani via Hubli. Demands for these trains have been pending for a long time, he said and hoped they would be fulfilled at least this time.

K.N. Krishnaprasad, a retired Central government official, said Mr. Gowda should take steps to operate the Yeshwantpur–Karwar day train as a daily service instead of three days a week, and to reduce its running time.

The Bangalore–Mangalore–Karwar/Kannur night train should be split and separate services should be operated since the demand was more on the Karwar side, he said.

He added that the Yeshwantpur–Miraj special via Hubli and Belgaum should be regularised and be made a daily service, Mr. Krishnaprasad demanded.

The South Western Railway had, in fact, cancelled operation of this train in January. However, later, the then Railway Minister M. Mallikarjun Kharge ordered immediate restoration.