Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd., (KRCL), which has been accused by residents of the coast of neglecting the interests of Karnataka, has now objected to a dedicated daily special train between Bengaluru and Vasco da Gama, announced by Minister of State for Railways Suresh C. Angadi.
After efforts to get a speedy train towards Karwar were negated by KRCL, South Western Railway (SWR), on Mr. Angadi’s direction, proposed the special train from Yeshwantpur to Vasco da Gama, both of which lie under its jurisdiction. The general manager of a zone has the discretion to run a special train that does not normally require concurrence either from the Railway Board or the other zones.
SWR thought of doing away with KRCL’s concurrence, though the train has to pass through the latter’s network between Thokur and Madgaon.
KRCL Chairman and Managing Director Sanjay Gupta said that SWR did not consult the corporation before proposing the special train and hence the Railway Board has now put the decision on hold. “We were prepared to water and fuel the existing overnight express (Bengaluru-Karwar/Kannur) at Madgaon after it was bifurcated at Subrahmanya Road and operated via Padil bypassing Mangaluru,” Mr. Gupta told The Hindu .
However, KRCL on January 14 rejected SWR’s proposal of January 7 to bifurcate the overnight express saying it cannot water and fuel the train at Madgaon or any other station. KRCL does not have watering and fuelling facilities at any of its stations in Karnataka.
SWR’s January 30 proposal to run a bi-weekly train from Yeshwantpur to Vasco da Gama via Karwar too was cold-shouldered by KRCL. During the February 4 meeting at Railway Board, Shobha Karandlaje, MP, agreed for bifurcation of the existing train.
This has not gone well with the residents of the coast, who claimed that the bifurcation could reduce just about 50 minutes of travel time and was of no use. Upon their demand, SWR on February 10 announced the new special daily train.
