Bangalore-Mangalore train to Karwar from July 2

Mangalore, June 24: Yeshwantpur-Mangalore night train, which chugs to Kannur at present from Mangalore Central railway station, will be extended to Karwar from July 2 onwards.

The train, according to the proposal, will now go to Karwar from Mangalore Junction (Kankanady) station, said Southern Railways Phalgat Divison Manager S K Raina addressing the reporters after attending the Mysore and Phalgat division officials meet at DC office on Friday.

The changes, he said has been done because the department has felt that extending the train to Kannur is not feasible and operating from Mangalore Central has several technical problems.

Electrification

Raina said that the Kannur-Mangalore railway line electrification work will commence in two months.

The work tender notice of Rs 67 crore has been floated. The contract will be awarded in two months.

He said that electrification work of Shornoor-Calicut has been completed while the work on Calicut-Kannur line is under progress.

The DM said that an infrastructure development project of Rs 210 crore has been chalked out for Mangalore. With this, works worth Rs 16 crore will be implemented at Mangalore railway station to provide two new platforms. An entrance will be provided near Muthappan temple to the railway station at a cost of Rs 1.5 crore.

Doubling of Mangalore-Panambur railway line will be taken up at Rs 150 crore. Nethravati new bridge is expected to be completed by December. The project of Rs 210 crore also includes a new railway station at Jokatte.

JTBS

Raina said that 'Jan Sadharan' two new Ticket Booking Sevak (JTBS) counters will be opened at Mangalore station. There is one counter functioning at the railway station at present which has bagged outstanding response.

This counter issues unreserved tickets, season tickets and senior citizen tickets. There are plans to get platform tickets within the counter limits, which needs approval from the Ministry.

He said that the existing counter in Mangalore is selling over 1,000 tickets. Calicut, which has six such counters is handling over 50 per cent of ticket booking.