The South Western Railway (SWR) has extended cancellation of day train services on the Bengaluru-Mangaluru/Karwar sector for another 44 days, till December 16, to complete the ongoing Railway Electrification (RE) work on the Sakleshpur-Subrahmanya Road (SBHR) Ghat section of Hassan-Mangaluru line.

A notification from the Principal Chief Operations Manager, SWR, Hubballi, stated that the Railway Ministry has permitted for extension of Line Block of four hours daily for 44 days from November 2 to December 15 for RE work on SKLR-SBHR section. Consequently, the following coaching trains would remain cancelled.

Trains 16575/576 Yesvantpur-Mangaluru Junction-Yesvantpur and 16515/516 Yesvantpur-Karwar-Yesvantpur are the two tri-weekly day trains that have been cancelled till December 16 to facilitate railway electrification work on the Sakleshpur-Subrahmanya Road Ghat section on Hassan-Mangaluru line. | Photo Credit: H S MANJUNATH

Trains and dates of cancellation Train No. 16539, Yesvantpur-Mangaluru Junction (MAJN) Weekly Express, till December 13 Train No. 16540, MAJN-Yesvantpur Weekly Express, till December 14 Train No. 16575, Yesvantpur-MAJN tri-Weekly Gomateshwara Express, till December 14 Train No. 16576, MAJN-Yesvantpur tri-Weekly Gomateshwara Express, till December 15 Train No. 16515, Yesvantpur-Karwar tri-Weekly Express, till December 15 Train No. 16516, Karwar-Yesvantpur tri-Weekly Express, till December 16

On September 15, The Hindu reported that day train services on the Bengaluru-Mangaluru / Karwar sector are unlikely to resume on November 1, as announced earlier by SWR on May 15 for RE works on the 55 km Sakleshpur-Subrahmanya Road Ghat section.

Divisional Railway Manager of SWR's Mysuru Division Mudit Mittal had told The Hindu that RE did not progress as expected because of two landslips on the ghat section, one in June and another in August, during the heavy rains. Work was progressing between Donigal and Shiribagilu (32km) by availing blocks after cancelling day trains for 154 days starting May 31.

Line blocks had to be curtailed to move material trains to clear landslip debris as a result of which RE work could not be completed. Rail India Technical and Economic Services (RITES) that was executing the RE project, had sought additional line blocks to complete the work.

Passengers and their association who were already upset with the 154 days cancellation have rued the further extension of cancellation.

Bengaluru-Mangaluru day train services cancellation extended till mid-December