By The Hindu Bureau
Copyright thehindu
The Kundapura Railway Hitarakshana Samithi will urge Minister of State for Railways V. Somanna to direct the Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd. (KRCL), to provide coach watering and train stabling facility in any of the stations in coastal Karnataka.
It will submit a memorandum of demands regarding the railway requirements of coastal Karnataka when the Minister visits Udupi to inaugurate an additional railway overbridge (RoB) at Indrali and later visits Kundapur Railway Station for inspection on Sunday, said president of the samithi Ganesh Puthran in a statement here.
Due to a lack of coach watering and train stabling facilities between Mangaluru and Karwar, any festival special train operated to coastal Karnataka from Bengaluru and other destinations had to immediately commence the return trip. This affects the passengers, who would be deprived of an affordable and comfortable journey.
The KRCL, even after 30 years of its existence, has failed to provide these facilities in its network in Karnataka, Mr. Puthran regretted. Lack of these facilities has also stalled introduction of new trains and extension of existing ones from coastal Karnataka to different destinations, he said.
Similarly, the samithi will demand the introduction of a Vande Bharat Express between Udupi and Bengaluru as soon as the railway electrification work between Sakleshpur and Subrahmanya Road Ghat section on Hassan-Mangaluru line gets completed, he said.
It would also urge Mr. Somanna to expedite the merger of KRCL with the Indian Railways as demanded by Maharashtra, Goa, and Karnataka.
The samithi would also highlight lack of facilities, including lack of platform shelters, proper platform flooring, etc., in Kundapur Railway Station from where thousands of pilgrims travel to Kollur Mookambika Temple. It would also demand a new train between Kundapur and Bengaluru to cater to the increasing demand and speeding up of SMVT Bengaluru-Murdeshwar-SMVT Bengaluru Express.
The other demands include a second platform at Barkur Station, release of funds for Amrit Bharat Station work at Udupi, etc.
