A decades-old dream of the people of Malnad region here was realised with the introduction of a passenger train between Dharwad and Ambewadi in Dandeli taluk of Uttara Kannada district on Sunday.
Minister of State for Railways Suresh Angadi flagged off the new train at a function at Ambewadi. Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi, Haliyal MLA R.V. Deshpande, MLC Lakshman Ghotnekar, South Western Railway general manager Ajay Kumar Singh, divisional railway manager Rajesh Mohan and others were present.
A release here stated that the new train [No 56923/56924 Dharwad-Ambewadi-Dharwad Passenger] will commence operations from both ends on Monday. The train will leave Dharwad at 11.30 a.m. and arrive at Ambewadi at 1 p.m. the same day. From Ambewadi, the train will leave at 3 p.m. and reach Dharwad at 4.40 p.m. En route , it will have stoppages at Alnavar, Kambarganvi, Mugad and Kyarkop. This train will have a composition of three coaches consisting of two general second class coaches and one second class luggage-cum- brake van.
The section between Ambewadi-Alnavar has a historic 100-year-old railway track which was uded only for transportation of goods after conversion to broad gauge and now for the first time, it has been opened for passenger traffic. It was constructed to carry forest produce, especially timber, during the First World War; the metre gauge track was laid by the Madras and Southern Maratta Railways in 1918. It connected the main railway line from Belagavi to Hubballi and it was used for the movement of goods to and from the paper mills at Dandeli.
In 1994, railway services were stopped to facilitate gauge conversion work. The single line section from Alnavar to Ambewadi was opened with broad gauge and commissioned for goods traffic on July 7, 1995. For upgrading a 25-km stretch of the track and other upgradation works, ₹ 40.68 crore was sanctioned.
A sum of ₹ 7.93 crore was spent for the construction of station buildings and other passenger amenities. Work estimated at ₹ 75 crore to introduce a passenger train between Alnavar and Ambewadi was completed this year, the release said.
Addressing a gathering, Mr. Angadi said that the Railways would give priority for safety, security, cleanliness and punctuality. He appreciated the Railways for ensuring cleanliness and the good maintenance at railway stations. He said that the Golden Chariot would be reintroduced.
Mr. Joshi appreciated the railway development works in the country and urged Mr. Angadi to introduce a train between Hubballi and Mangaluru to ensure rail connectivity to the coastal region, which, in turn, would boost economic activities. Besides, Mr. Joshi demanded expediting the railway track doubling works between Dharwad and Hubballi, increasing frequency of the Hubballi-Varanasi train to four times a week, commencing the proposed Belagavi-Pune train from Hubballi and laying the new Belagavi-Hubballi-Kittur line.
