South Western Railway (SWR) has proposed to operate an overnight weekly express train between Mysuru and Karwar to fill the void created by the diversion of the Bengaluru-Kannur/Karwar overnight express via Shravanabelagola four days a week.
SWR said MP for Mysuru Pratap Simha has urged the Railways to operate an overnight express between Mysuru and Karwar four days a week so as to completely compensate for the diversion. However, there are constraints in the Sakleshpur-Subrahmanya Road ghat section, restricting the number of trains that can be operated in a day, SWR said.
Therefore, a weekend train between the two cities could be operated for the time being to cater to the needs of travellers.
The Bengaluru-Kannur/Karwar overnight express was operating via Mysuru all days before the commissioning of the Bengaluru-Hassan line. While people in the coastal region demanded a new overnight express between Bengaluru and Karwar via the new and shorter route, SWR diverted the existing overnight express four days a week through the new route. Consequently, travellers from Mysuru region lost direct connectivity to the coast for four days.
SWR has sent a proposal for the concurrence of Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd. as it has to take the new train from Thokur till Karwar on the Karnataka coast.
As per the proposal, the train will leave Mysuru at 11.20 p.m. on Saturdays to reach Mangaluru Junction at 8.05 a.m. on Sunday. It will leave towards Karwar at 8.15 a.m. and reach the destination at 3.30 p.m. In the return direction, the train will leave Karwar at 4.45 p.m. on Sunday, Mangaluru Junction at 11.55 p.m., and reach Mysuru at 7.30 a.m. on Monday.
Mysore Grahaka Parishat, which had demanded restoration of lost connectivity, said that it initially wanted four or five slip coaches from Mysuru to be attached to the Yeshwantpur-Mangaluru Central tri-weekly overnight express. However, SWR said the Railway Ministry discourages the slip coach system. Hence, the MP demanded a new train, said Yogendra Swamy of the Parishat.
