The Yeshwantpur-Mangaluru Central night express, which was extended to Kannur within two years of its introduction on December 14, 2009, appears to be lacking patronage with just above 100 direct passengers travelling between Bengaluru/Mysuru and Kannur every day.
Information obtained under the Right to Information Act by The Hindu reveals that as many as 46,553 passengers travelled in reserve classes from Bengaluru/Mysuru to destinations in Kerala beyond Mangaluru Central—Kasaragod, Kanhangad, Payyanur, and Kannur— in 2016-2017 on Train No. 16517. On Train No. 16518, 38,326 passengers travelled from Kannur, Payyanur, Kanhangad, and Kasaragod to destinations beyond Mangaluru Central into Karnataka. The average number of passengers per day comes to 127 from Bengaluru to Kannur and 105 from Kannur to Bengaluru.
Long fight
The Hassan-Mangaluru section of the metre gauge was closed for gauge conversion to broad gauge in 1994 and the Railways took a whopping 14 years to complete the work. Though the track was certified to be fit to operate passenger trains in April 2007, the Railways introduced the first night express between Yeshwantpur and Mangaluru Central on December 8, 2007.
While coastal Karnataka people had been demanding its extension to Karwar, the then Minister of State for Railways E. Ahmed got it extended to Kannur on December 14, 2009. Another Minister of State for Railways K.H. Muniyappa, who is from Karnataka, had to remain a mute spectator owing to politics of the coalition government.
With pleas to Railways to extend the train to Karwar failing, coastal people had to approach the High Court of Karnataka which directed the Railways to extend the train to Karwar too. Thus, a combined train was introduced on October 18, 2012, which gets detached at Mangaluru Central with one portion going to Karwar and one to Kannur. The Bengaluru-Kannur portion of the train has nine coaches—four sleeper class, two each general sitting and luggage-cum-brake vans and one 3-Tier cum 2-Tier AC combined coach.
Cancel the train
S. Yogendra from Mysuru Grahakara Parishat demanded that the South Western Railway should cancel the Kannur service following poor patronage.
Instead, six coaches may be operated as Mysuru-Karwar-Mysuru Express to be attached and detached from Bengaluru-Karwar Express at Hassan as the Bengaluru-Karwar Express is being diverted via Shravanabelagola four days a week, Mr. Yogendra demanded.
