The Hindu

Mangalore, Apr 4: The passengers in Karnataka have opposed the demand of their Kerala counterparts for extension of Yeshwanthpur-Mangalore Express train up to Cannanore. a.

Taking note of some reports in Kerala, Prakash Mandoth, member of the Zonal Railway Users’ Consultative Committee of South-Western Railway, has opposed the demand. Mr. Mandoth represents the Bangalore-based Federation of Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FKCCI) in the committee. The Puttur-based Railway Yatri Sangha has warned of launching an agitation if the train were to be extended to Kerala. The two have pointed out that the travellers in Karnataka would be deprived of their reservation quota applicable to the source station, it the train were to be extended. It would also result in greater share of the quota going to the people in Kerala, they said.

Mr. Mandoth told The Hindu that he had raised the issue in the meeting of the zonal consultative committee at Hubli, recently and had made it clear that there should be no extension of the train to Kerala. In a statement here, the sangha coordinator, D.K. Bhat, said that the train was introduced after a struggle by the commuters of this region. The train was running to its capacity, even as the waiting list always ran up to 150 every day. The train had 17 coaches and addition of some more coaches was not advisable as there were many sharp curves and gradients the train had manoeuvre in the Western Ghats. Moreover, once extended, the train might not arrive in the Mangalore Central station where a large number of passengers were alighting. Restricting the train to stop at Mangalore junction was not preferred because it lacked proper bus facilities and passengers had been complaining of autorickshaw drivers demanding exorbitant fares, Mr. Bhat said. K. Prahlad Rao, a retired government official, said that the State was being neglected in successive railway budgets and measures such as extending the train to other States would further deprive the State of its share of passenger amenities.

Mr. Bhat said that a train was already running between Yeshwanthpur and Cannanore, train number 526/27, via Salem and Coimbatore. This train could be operated through Mangalore, Hassan and Mysore. It would then reduce the distance between Cannanore and Bangalore by 75 km if run via Mysore, and 100 km if run via Arasikere, he said.

There were enough trains to travel to Coimbatore from here for the benefit of Kerala-bound passengers travelling by the Yeshwnathpur-Mangalore train, he added.