Daijiworld News Network - Mangalore (GA)

Mangalore, Feb 11: This is indeed good news to the people travelling between the city and the country's commercial capital, Mumbai.  The long awaited Mangalore-Mumbai Janmshatabdi Train will chug off on the Valentine's Day on Tuesday February 14.  Whether it is Valentine Day gift or fulfilling of promise just before the annual budget, no one knows.  But the fast passenger rail will surely be of great help to the commuters.

Though it was announced in the last budget that the Janmshatabdi Express will be started between the city and Mumbai, it had not come into effect so far.  However, what is satisfying is that it will at least start functioning before the next budget.  The union railway minister will launch the new train at Madgaon on Tuesday, 14  February afternoon.

Janmshatabdi train is not new on the Konkan railway route.  Already Janmshatabdi train has been operating between Madgaon and Mumbai on all weekdays except on Wednesday.  Being an express train, it stops only on few important stations and reaches Madgaon within 6 hours.  So the same train will extend its services to the city too.  It has also been given a separate train number.  The passengers however have to buy two tickets to go to Mumbai, but need not change the train in between.  Buying two tickets is only for technical reasons, and it will not be any burden for passengers, said the railway sources.

However, the stations where the Janmshatabdi train will stop have not yet been finalized.