MANGALORE, Jul 5 (The Hindu): The Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) has petitioned Railway Minister Mamta Bannerjee over the “loss of privileges for people of the region following the extension of the Yeshwanthpur-Mangalore Express train to Kannur”.

In a letter to the Minister, copies of which were released to the press on Saturday, KCCI president Srinivas S. Kamath said: “We are apprehensive of a substantial reduction of seat quota to Mangalore in view of the extension… and we fear that it will not arrive at Mangalore Central but will directly go to Kannur from the Mangalore Junction (Kankanady) station.”

He said the Bangalore-Hassan-Mangalore line was converted into broad gauge for the best conveyance of commuters between Mangalore and Bangalore. Mangalore was developing fast. More than 6,000 people travelled daily between Mangalore and Bangalore. Although they preferred trains to buses for travelling, they were compelled to depend on more than 100 government and private buses, braving the “poor road conditions, odd schedules and bearing high fares.”

Division sought

Kamath said that Mangalore Railway Station under the Palghat Division of Southern Railway being the highest revenue-earning station was getting “step-motherly treatment”. To stop this “forever”, he requested the Minister to make Mangalore a separate Railway Division.

Day-train

He said that the expectations of the people over the starting of operation of the already-sanctioned new day-train (6515), Yashwanthpur-Arasikere-Mangalore, had not been fulfilled yet.