Mangalore: The new Mangalore – Bangalore train via Mysore is likely to attract good traffic. The new timetable announced by the South Western Railway and Southern Railway shows that the new train, 16575/16576, will run via Mysore as a day train. However, the date of operation is not announced.
Several organizations had demanded to start an overnight train from the port city to the capital city via Arsikere, which is 456 km. However, the new train would take a longer route via Mysore, covering a distance of 503 km. Hence, the journey to Mangalore from Bangalore would take at least 13 hours.
Who would want to travel in a day train and later spend on accommodation?, asks Hanumanth Kamath of Nagarika Hitharakshana Vedike. The passengers between Mangalore – Bangalore are students, employees and businessmen who prefer overnight journey. There are more than 400 buses operating between these cities over night, which itself is a testimony to high demand for overnight journey, he said.
It is result of heavy lobbying by private bus operators between Mangalore – Bangalore, says Kamath. There are more than 50 bus operators. A train with minimum of 20 coaches can accommodate not less than 1000 passengers. It suggests that so many passengers would switch over buses to trains. And, this directly affects the demand for buses operating in these routes”, he said adding that less traffic is an excuse given my politicians who are pressurized by bus operators.
Earlier, the Paschima Karavali Railway Abhivriddhi Samiti has urged Railway Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda to make the proposed Bangalore-Mangalore Express an overnight train and run the proposed Kasargod-Byndoor Passenger via Mangalore Central for the benefit of large sections of commuters. Sources said both the demands may not see green signal.
New time table
According to the time table (Southern Railway), the train no. 16575 leaves Bangalore at 8.30 a.m.; Mysore at noon and reaches Mangalore Central at 9.15 p.m. And, train no. 16576 leaves Mangalore Central at 6.30 a.m.; Mysore at 4.15 p.m. and reaches Bangalore at 7.30 p.m.
