Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru

Mangaluru, Aug 8: The South Western Railway (SWR) has resumed passenger train services on the Bengaluru-Mangaluru route as of Thursday, August 8, following the restoration of tracks disrupted by landslides.

The landslides, which occurred on July 26 in the Sakleshpura-Subramanya sector, had covered the tracks with debris.

The restoration process was challenging due to the heavy rains and the difficult terrain, which made access to the affected area difficult. However, the track was declared safe on August 4 after thorough work, including an engine rolling test and a successful trial run of a fully loaded goods train on August 6.

Representational image

The first train to pass through the repaired section was Train No. 16575, the Yeshwantpur-Mangaluru Junction Gomateshwara tri-weekly Express. Overnight train services from Bengaluru and Vijayapura are expected to resume soon, while return services from Mangaluru, Karwar, and Mangaluru Junction will begin on Friday.

Trains on the segment between Yadakumari and Kadagaravalli will operate at a reduced speed of 15 kmph until further notice.

The restoration work, which took nearly 10 days, was completed despite the ongoing rain and challenging conditions, earning cheers from the team as the Gomateshwara Express successfully made its way through the restored section on Thursday.