Road Connectivity Between Bangalore & Mangalore Affected Due to Landslides: Demand For Trains Increases

The road connectivity between Mangalore & Udupi is aafected due to landslides in most of the places, people and passenger associations have urged the Railways to run special trains, augment coaches on and increase frequency of existing trains.

Following intermittent landslips at Donigal in Sakleshpur taluk of Hassa district on Bengaluru-Mangalore National Highway 75, the Hassan district administration has banned movement of all heavy vehicles via Donigal. It has suggested alternative routes circumventing the affected stretch only for light motor vehicles. With landslides at Shiradi and Sampaje Ghats almost snapping the connectivity Mangalore and Bengaluru, particularly through buses. While vehicles up to 16 tonnes were allowed to ply through Sampaje (Sullia-Madikeri, NH 275) and Charmadi (Belthangady-Mudigere, NH 73), since July 17, Kodagu police restricted the movement of multi-axle buses via Sampaje Ghat while Charmadi Ghat could not accommodate multi-axle buses at all. The two Ghats become chock-a-block with other diverted vehicles thereby affecting movement of normal buses too.

Pashchima Karavali Railway Yatri Abhivriddhi Samithi President G. Hanumanth Kamath has urged the Railways to enhance train services to the coast for the convenience of travellers. He suggested that maximum permissible additional coaches may be attached to Train No. 16511/512 Bengaluru City-Kannur-Bengaluru City via Mangalore Central service and make Train No. 16585/586 Bengaluru City-Mangalore Central-Bengaluru City tri-weekly express via Mysuru, a daily service.

Rail activist G.K. Bhat suggested the Railways may operate a special train from Bengaluru to Karwar via Mangalore to ease to the additional rush of passengers.