The South Western Railway (SWR) has decided to operate a tri-weekly special express between Bengaluru and Mangaluru via Mysuru from July 26 in view of the snapped road connectivity via National Highway 75 (Shiradi Ghat) and NH 276 (Sampaje Ghat) between the two cities.
Patrons as well as Dakshina Kannada MP Nalin Kumar Kateel had been urging the Railways ever since the connectivity was lost from July 17 to operate special trains between the coast and Bengaluru and add additional coaches to the existing trains. Mr. Kateel had also written to Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav in this regard on July 18.
According to a notification by SWR issued on July 22, Train Nos. 06547/548 Bengaluru-Mangaluru Central tri-weekly special would make 16 trips each, from July 26 to August 31.
Train No. 06547 Bengaluru-Mangaluru Central tri-weekly special leaves Bengaluru at 8.30 pm on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays to reach Mangaluru Central at 9.05 am next day on the path and timing of Train No. 16585 Bengaluru-Mangaluru Central tri-weekly express till August 30. En-route the service leaves Mysuru at 11.15 pm and Hassan at 1.45 am. It has commercial halts at Kengeri, Ramanagara, Channapatna, Mandya, KR Nagar, Holenarasipura, Sakleshpur, Subrahmanya Road, Kabakaputtur, Bantwal and Mangaluru Junction.
In the return direction, Train No. 06548 Mangaluru Central-Bengaluru tri-weekly special leaves Mangaluru Central at 6.35 pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays to reach Bengaluru at 6.15 am the next day on the path and timings of Train No. 16586 Mangaluru Central-Bengaluru tri-weekly express till August 31. It leaves Hassan at 12.40 am and Mysuru at 3.15 am.
The train comprises one 2-tier AC, two 3-tier AC, nine second class sleeper, four second class sitting and two luggage-cum-brake van coaches.
Expressing happiness over the development, Yogendra Swamy from Mysuru Grahaka Parishat said there should have been one service from Bengaluru on Fridays to cater to the huge weekend rush. Neither the proposed special train, nor the existing 16585 operate on Fridays from Bengaluru, which is a huge disadvantage, he said.
Patrons had also demanded extension of Bengaluru-Mangaluru Central-Bengaluru tri-weekly express (16585/586) as well as the proposed special train till Karwar as the entire coastal region was affected with the snapped road connectivity.
