As the Mangalore-Santragachi ‘Vivek Express’ commences its maiden journey from February 25, the railway is fulfilling the long standing aspiration of north Kerala to have a direct train to Howrah passing through the Coromandal region where hundreds of families from the region are residing.
The decision to introduce the new weekly train service from Mangalore is bound to fulfil the long cherished aspiration of hundreds of job seekers from north Kerala, who are working in West Bengal and all along the Coromandal stretch, Kasaragod Railway Passengers’ Association President P. Prashant said.
The train would also provide direct access to hundreds of migrant labourers working in Kerala and south Karnataka from Orissa, Bihar and West Bengal. Presently they have to reach Chennai to get connection train to Howrah.
The decision to run the new weekly super fast train, whose proposal was made during the last railway budget, is bound to ease the years long travel ordeal being faced by the people of the region who had to get down either in Palakkad or Chennai to get connection train to Howrah and beyond.
“It appeared to be quite strange to note that there was no direct train from north Kerala to West Bengal, Orissa, where hundreds of families from the region are settled compared to mega cities like New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and major metros like Pune, Bangalore and Ahmedabad although the number of trains to those cities are packed all through the year, Mr. Prashant said.
The region had direct access to West Bengal and North Eastern States more than 25 years ago when two bogies bound to Assam were attached to the train coming from the South Kerala.
However, the facility was withdrawn after the Mangalore-Palakkad Link Express was extended to Tiruchirappalli forcing passengers to board connection trains to the East with heavy luggage.
Media reports quoting Palakkad division of the Southern Railway said that 22852 train will depart Mangalore on Saturdays at 8.45 p.m. and reach Santragachi near Howrah at 5.50 p.m. on Mondays.
The regular service of train no. 22851 Santragachi—Mangalore Central Vivek express will commence on March 1.
The train will leave Santragachi on Thursdays at 4.05 p.m. and reach Mangalore at 9.45 a.m. on Saturdays.
The trains stop at Kharagpur, Balasore, Bhadrak, Cuttack, Bhubaneswar, Khurda Road, Brahampur, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, Rajahmundry, Vijayawada, Gudur, Renigunta, Tirupati, Katpadi, Salem, Erode, Tiruppur, Coimbatore, Palakkad, Shoranur, Tirur, Kozhikode, Badagara, Kannur, Kanhangad and Kasaragod.
