Vande Bharat Route Debate: Mangaluru Central Vs Junction Sparks Row In Coastal Karnataka

Passengers and railway user groups across Uttara Kannada, Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts are engaged in a debate over the proposed route of the extended Vande Bharat Express connecting Bengaluru and Goa via coastal Karnataka. While passengers and social media groups in Dakshina Kannada are demanding that the train be routed through Mangaluru Central, railway user groups in Uttara Kannada and Udupi are strongly opposing the proposal. They argue that diverting the service to Mangaluru Central, in addition to Mangaluru Junction, could significantly increase travel time for passengers travelling towards Udupi and Uttara Kannada.

The debate has brought renewed attention to the need to balance connectivity for Mangaluru with the interests of passengers across the entire coastal belt.

Mangaluru Central Vs Mangaluru Junction

Social media campaigns in Dakshina Kannada are demanding that the proposed Bengaluru-Karwar-Madgaon Vande Bharat Express be operated via Mangaluru Central, along with Mangaluru Junction, to ensure better connectivity to Mangaluru city.

However, railway user groups from Surathkal, Udupi, Kundapura and Karwar have rejected the demand. They argue that taking the train to Mangaluru Central and then reversing its direction could add around two hours to the journey for passengers travelling towards Udupi and Uttara Kannada.

According to these groups, Mangaluru Junction already provides access to the city, while routing the train through Mangaluru Central could affect the overall travel time of the service.

The Coast Is Not Just Mangaluru: Uttara Kannada Committee

Rajiv Gaonkar, a key member of the Uttara Kannada Rail Seva Samiti, has opposed the demand to route the train through Mangaluru Central. He pointed out that coastal Karnataka extends far beyond Mangaluru city and includes several important towns, educational centres, industrial areas and tourist destinations along its nearly 300-kilometre coastline.

Stations such as Bantwal, Farangipete, Padil, Jokatte and Surathkal provide rail connectivity to different parts of the Mangaluru region. Gaonkar said passengers can alight at Bantwal or Mangaluru Junction and reach the city within a short time.

He argued that adding a diversion to Mangaluru Central could unnecessarily increase the journey time, particularly for passengers travelling towards Udupi and Uttara Kannada.

Extended Vande Bharat Service: Schedule And Route

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced on September 29 that the existing Mangaluru Central-Madgaon Vande Bharat service would be extended to Bengaluru's Yeshwantpur via Mangaluru Junction.

The proposed service will operate as the Yeshwantpur-Madgaon-Yeshwantpur Vande Bharat Express under Train Nos. 26655 and 26656.

Proposed Schedule

Train No. 26655 (Yeshwantpur-Madgaon):The train will depart from Yeshwantpur at 6.05 am and reach Madgaon at 7.15 pm.

Train No. 26656 (Madgaon-Yeshwantpur):The train will depart from Madgaon at 5.30 am and reach Yeshwantpur at 6.40 pm.

Proposed Station Stops

The proposed stations are:

Yeshwantpur, Shravanabelagola, Hassan, Sakleshpur, Subrahmanya Road, Kabaka Puttur, Mangaluru Junction, Udupi, Kundapura, Byndoor, Murdeshwar, Gokarna Road, Karwar and Madgaon.

Successful Trial Run: What Do Passengers Want?

The Railways conducted a trial run on September 10 using a 16-coach Vande Bharat Express between Yeshwantpur and Mangaluru Junction. The journey from Yeshwantpur to Mangaluru Junction took 7 hours and 5 minutes, while the return journey took 6 hours and 49 minutes.

The proposed service has a total scheduled travel time of around 13 hours. Passengers and railway user groups are now demanding technical upgrades and operational improvements to bring the overall journey time down to around 11 hours.

Demands From Businessmen And Railway Groups

P.B. Ahmed Mudassar, president of the Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), said the timetable should facilitate an early morning departure from Mangaluru and a late evening return from Bengaluru.

According to him, an early morning service would allow traders, businesspeople and members of the public from Mangaluru to travel to Bengaluru for work, complete their engagements during the day and return on a night service.

West Coast Railway Committee's Suggestion

G. Hanumanth Kamath, president of the West Coast Railway Committee, also offered a suggestion regarding the proposed timetable. He said the train could depart from Mangaluru at around 6.00 am, similar to the Mangaluru Central-Thiruvananthapuram Vande Bharat Express.

Kamath said such a schedule could help meet the needs of passengers while avoiding disruption to the movement of other trains.

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