The Mangalore-Bangalore day train that will be flagged off on Saturday has evoked a good response from potential passengers. On Friday, many people made enquiries about the reservation, train fare and other related details about the new train at the Mangalore Central Railway Station. The train will run between Mangalore and Yeshwathpur.
People wanted to know whether they could buy tickets or book their journey by the train on Friday itself. They had to return disappointed on being told that the online reservation system had not been activated for the train. The officials manning the reservation counters had a tough time explaining to the people that online booking was not possible unless the online reservation system was activated for the train.
Septuagenarian Shridhar Shetty of Mangalore, a retired Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) official, was one among the many who came to the railway station to make enquiries specific to the new train. He met the Chief Reservation Supervisor Srikumar to see whether he could get the reservation for the train only to be disappointed. “We (he and his wife) wanted to take the first train, enjoy nature’s beauty as the train passes through the Western Ghats and go to Bangalore.” He said he preferred the train to buses to avoid bumpy ride as the roads are bad. “You can walk a bit in the train and free your legs. You also have toilets in the train,” he observed.
Confusion
According to the railway officials, one-way journey in 3-tier AC coach will cost Rs. 536; Rs. 200 for sleeper class and Rs. 101 for ticket to travel in general compartment. However, a communication from the South Western Railways on Thursday stated that the train will have one 3-tier AC coach, nine chair cars and two general sitting-cum-guard vans. There was no mention of sleeper coaches. However, the officials at the Mangalore Central Railway Station insisted that the new train will have sleeper coaches also.
The officials at the railway station were busy preparing for the Saturday’s function in which Minister of State for Railways K.H. Muniyappa will flag off the new train at 8.40 a.m. A pandal was being erected on platform 1.
Meanwhile, the Mangalore city Secretary of the Community Party of India (Marxist) Sunil Kumar Bajal has demanded that the train should be run daily as announced. It has to be speeded up to cover the distance in 9 hours instead of 11 hours, he added.
