Patrons frown at Railway Ministry’s move to extend Bengaluru-Kannur express via Mangalutu to Kozhikode

Patrons successful Dakshina Kannada territory person taken superior objection to Railway Ministry’s connection to widen Train No. 16511/12 KSR Bengaluru-Kannur-KSR Bengaluru overnight explicit via Mangaluru Central down-south to Kozhikode successful Kerala.

The superior nonsubjective of introducing the overnight explicit bid was to link Bengaluru with larboard metropolis of Mangaluru aft the Hassan-Mangaluru gauge conversion. Yet, the work was extended to Kannur to the dismay of thousands of travellers from coastal Karnataka. Its further hold to Kozhikode would further aggravate the already packed service, said Dakshina Kannada District Rail, an online forum of patrons from the district.

Any long-distance connectivity requirements beyond Kannur should beryllium addressed done abstracted and autarkic services, not by overburdening an already saturated train, it said. If determination was a genuine request for obstruction connectivity betwixt Kozhikode and Bengaluru, the aforesaid should beryllium addressed by a caller bid via Salem, it said.

Trains astatine a glance

Referring to the precocious released “Trains astatine a Glance 2026” released by the Ministry, the Forum said the Kannur Express was shown arsenic extended up to Kozhikode, adjacent though the hold had not been implemented connected the ground.

Showing Kozhikode arsenic the terminal presumption successful a notation work is simply a substance of large concern, because, the hold beyond Kannur has not been implemented. While earlier objections to extensions beyond Mangaluru Central and Kannur stay unaddressed, determination has been nary clarity connected further rakes, manager augmentation oregon quota restructuring. The capableness connected the Sakleshpur-Subrahmanya Road Ghat section, already a captious bottleneck, has not been enhanced too.

Not justified

Further, hold of the work beyond Kannur is not justified due to the fact that the Kannur Express is the lifeline overnight work for Dakshina Kannada and Kasaragod districts. The work besides records precise precocious patronage from devotees visiting pilgrimage centres, including Kukke Subrahmanya and Dharmasthala. Further hold would dilute spot and berth availability for existing passengers, worsening an already terrible demand–supply imbalance.

Enhanced connectivity needed

The Forum said that Mangaluru, emerging arsenic the 2nd IT superior of Karnataka, successful information requires enhanced obstruction connectivity and decidedly not a curtailing of existing facilities. Being a hub of education, healthcare and port-led economical growth, Mangaluru needs beardown and protected obstruction connectivity to Bengaluru.

Even aft hold to Kannur, Trains 16511/12 proceed to tally with dense waiting lists passim the year, intelligibly establishing that the halfway request lies successful coastal Karnataka, peculiarly up to Mangaluru Central.