The Southern Railway headquarters has rejected the proposal of its Palakkad Division to extend Yeshwantpur-Mangaluru Junction-Yeshwantpur tri-weekly Gomateshwara Express to Mangaluru Central, as originally announced by the then Railway Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda.
Following persistent demand from the travelling public and the Paschima Karavali Railway Yatri Abhivriddhi Samithi, the Divisional Railway Users’ Consultative Committee of Palakkad Division had recommended to the headquarters to shift three not-so-popular trains to Mangaluru Junction to accommodate the Gomateshwara Express.
Though the zonal headquarters had the power to shift terminals of trains within the same city for operational reasons, the then General Manager of Southern Railway Vasishta Johri had told The Hindu that DRUCC’s proposal had to be cleared by Zonal RUCC.
But, the Railway Board has said that there was no rule to seek DRUCC’s concurrence for shifting the terminal.
However, the zone has rejected the proposal stating that the three trains proposed to be shifted — Chennai Egmore-Mangaluru Central-Chennai Egmore daily express, Puducherry-Mangaluru Central-Puducherry weekly express and Mangaluru Central-Kacheguda-Mangaluru Central bi-weekly express — had good patronage.
Shitting them to Mangaluru Junction to accommodate Gomateshwara Express would cause severe inconvenience to passengers, the zone has informed the Palakkad Division.
