Inspection of 42 km Line Between Padil & Kabaka Held: Trains Can Now Run on Electric Traction From Mangalore to Puttur

The South Western Railway (SWR) on July 28 successfully conducted the statutory inspection of the 42 km (46 route km) electrified line between Padil off Mangalore and Kabaka Puttur in Puttur by operating an electric locomotive.

The inspection started from Padil at around 2.30 p.m. and the loco reached Kabaka Puttur around 4 p.m., the speed trial was conducted in the reverse direction thereafter. The electrification work on the Kabaka Puttur-Subrahmanya Road (Nettana) section (48 RKM) was in full swing. If everything goes as planned, the work will be completed by September-October this year. However, electrification of the balance part of the Mangalore-Hassan section, between Subrahmanya Road and Hassan, might take some more time.

When the electrification work gets completed till Subrahmanya Road Station, local trains could be operated by electric locos or even a mainline electric multiple unit (MEMU) could replace a conventional rake.