With Madgaon-Mangaluru Central-Madgaon Mainline Electrical Multiple Unit (MEMU) Express rake remaining idle for nearly four hours at Mangaluru, patrons and passenger associations have sought its extension till Subrahmanya Road (SBHR), or at least Kabaka Puttur.
The extension would not only pave for optimum utilisation of Railway assets, but also offer end-to-end connectivity by linking the State of Goa with South India’s prominent pilgrim centre Kukke Subrahmanya, patrons have argued. The Puttur-Subrahmanya Railway Users Association said Train Nos. 10107/108 have been providing affordable and reliable connectivity for thousands of students, workers, traders and pilgrims travelling daily between Goa, Karwar, Kumta, Honnavar, Murudeshwar, Kundapura, Udupi and Mangaluru.
Madgaon-Mangaluru Central service arrives Central at 11.30 a.m. during non-Monsoon timetable over Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd., and at 12.30 p.m. during Monsoon timetable. Mangaluru Central-Madgaon service leaves Central at 3.30 p.m. If the service was extended till SBHR, the idling rake could be put for optimum use, the Association argued.
Connecting pilgrim centres
Supporting the demand, Mangaluru-based Paschima Karavali Railway Yatri Abhivriddhi Samithi President G. Hanumanth Kamath said the services could be extended if it did not affect existing patrons. The idle time of the rake could better be utilised by extending it till SBHR thereby connecting a host of pilgrim and tourist centres across the coast, starting from Kukke Subrahmanya to temples around Ponda, Goa. Timetable of the services may be tweaked to a certain extent to facilitate the extension, Mr. Kamath said.
