Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, May 13: Train No. 56665/66 that was running between Kasargod and Byndoor for the convenience of passengers visiting centre of pilgrimage, Kollur, stands temporarily cancelled with effect from Friday May 12.

The railway department says that this train has not been patronized by the people of Kasargod and other districts in north Kerala for whose benefit it was originally meant. At the same time, the temporary cancellation will help in undertaking maintenance works, it clarified.

The train used to begin its journey from Kasargod in the morning and return from Byndoor in the afternoon. After observing that the passenger support for the train was not up to the mark, the department had extended the train till Kannur a year back with the hope of improved occupancy. Even after this measure, the train continued to suffer from shortage of passengers. It is being analyzed that running the train through the Junction station here has contributed to the problem and that the train would have got additional passengers if it had touched the central station here.

In addition to this, six trains running in Kerala and Tamil Nadu including the special train between Kannur and Kasargod have been cancelled because of poor passenger response, a release from southern railway confirmed.