Railway patrons in Bengaluru, Mysuru and coastal Karnataka are upset over the Railway Ministry’s alleged repeated attempts to meddle with the timetable of Train No. 16585/586 SMVT Bengaluru-Murdeshwar-SMVT Bengaluru Express that has become very popular. | Photo Credit: ANIL KUMAR SASTRY
Railway patrons in Bengaluru, Mysuru and coastal Karnataka are upset over alleged repeated attempts by the Railway Ministry to meddle with the timetable of Bengaluru-Murdeshwar-Bengaluru Express that could nullify the benefits the service has been offering.
Initially operated between Sir M Visvesvaraya Terminal-Bengaluru-Mangaluru Central-SMVTB as Trains 16585/586, the service was extended to Murdeshwar in September 2023 for better utilisation of the idling rake. Mysuru had lost railway connectivity with coastal Karnataka after the Konkan Railway Corporation Limited got the Bengaluru-Karwar portion of the Bengaluru-Kannur/Karwar Express cancelled on March 20, 2020, as a condition to introduce Bengaluru-Karwar-Bengaluru Panchaganga Express.
Platform turn round
A couple of months ago, the Ministry had asked South Western Railway (SWR), which owns the train, to change the timetable. It said that any express train should get at least three hours platform turn round (PFTR) to facilitate coach cleaning and watering. Train 16585, reaching Murdeshwar at 12.55 p.m., leaves at 2.10 p.m. as Train 16586 without adequate PFTR.
SWR, however, did not agree to change the timetable saying the train is a popular service and disturbing its timetable would affect the service.
Yogendra Swamy from Mysuru Grahaka Parishat said that hundreds of trains in Indian Railways do not get 3-hour PFTR. Moreover, Murdeshwar neither has cleaning nor watering facility. He aacused the Ministry of attempting to derail a popular train.
When SWR refused to change the timetable, the Ministry recently proposed to convert Murdeshwar Express to a day service, again citing the same reason. SWR, however, did not agree to the day-train proposal, it is learnt.
Extension to Vasco da Gama
Gautam Shetty of Kundapura Rail Prayanikara Hitharakshana Samithi said the Inter Railway Timetable Committee 2024 meeting had recommended extension of Murdeshwar Express to Vasco-da-Gama. The service was supposed to have rake sharing arrangement (RSA) with Train 17309/310 Yesvantpur-Vasco-Yesvantpur Express for maintaining the existing timetable. The extension would have connected popular tourist destinations between Mysuru and Goa through the Karnataka coast, he said.
He suspects vested interests opposed to service extension to Vasco of attempting to sabotage the highly patronised train. None of the passenger associations would have demanded this change in timetable as the same would affect the patrons, he claimed.
Published – December 25, 2024 03:11 pm IST
