Frustration Mounts as Southern Railway Ignores Passionate Pleas to Extend Gomateshwara and CSMT Express to Mangaluru Central

In a surprising move that contrasts with previous assurances, Southern Railway has decided against extending the Gomateshwara and CSMT Superfast Express routes from Mangaluru Junction to Mangaluru Central. This decision persists despite the commissioning of additional platforms at the Central station in Mangaluru, initially promised to facilitate the extension.

For years, the Southern Railway’s Palakkad Division, overseeing the Mangaluru Railway Region, attributed the non-extension of these popular train services to the ‘platform constraint.’ However, even after last year’s completion of platforms 4 and 5, the promised extensions have yet to materialize. Instead, the division extended the services of Train No. 07377/378, the Vijayapura-Mangaluru Junction-Vijayapura Express Special, to Mangaluru Central, raising questions on the feasibility of extending other services.

During a recent visit by Minister of State for Railways, V. Somanna, the extension topic resurfaced. Divisional Railway Manager of Palakkad Division, Arun Kumar Chaturvedi, informed reporters that extending the trains would remain impossible for at least another year due to ongoing infrastructure projects. This statement contradicts Chaturvedi’s earlier remarks to The Hindu in February, where he hinted at an April extension following the completion of a new stabling line at Central.

The Southern Railway headquarters has also offered mixed signals regarding these extensions. An initial agreement to extend the Gomateshwara Express (Train No. 16575/576) in February 2024 was revisited in June, with officials later deeming the extension unmanageable. Even appeals from Dakshina Kannada MP Captain Brijesh Chowta have not swayed the Railway Ministry, which remains unmoved.

Adding to the complexity, Paschima Karavali Railway Yatri Abhivriddhi Samithi President and Palakkad Divisional Railway Users’ Consultative Committee member, G. Hanumanth Kamath, pointed out that both Gomateshwara and the CSMT (Train No. 12133/134) were originally sanctioned to operate from Mangaluru Central by the Railway Ministry. Yet, Southern Railway continues to defer, citing persistent platform constraints.

Mr. Kamath emphasized that the revised timetable for the Gomateshwara Express and the Mangaluru Junction-Yeshwantpur Weekly (Sundays) Express (Train No. 16540), which departs from Junction at 7 a.m. for a 4:30 p.m. arrival in Yeshwantpur, greatly benefits travelers by ensuring timely arrival in Bengaluru. He called for the weekly express to extend to Central and urged that both the Gomateshwara and CSMT Express services increase their coach numbers from 16 to a minimum of 22 to accommodate growing demand. Mangaluru residents strongly desire improved daytime train links to Bengaluru, while the extension of the CSMT Express to Central would significantly benefit those traveling to and from Mumbai.

As the community and railway officials continue to deliberate, the need for enhanced rail connectivity at Mangaluru Central remains a pressing issue for many local commuters. Southern Railway’s recent decision, published on April 13, 2025, leaves passengers demanding clarity and better service alignment with regional transportation needs.

Original Source: https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Mangalore/despite-repeated-pleas-by-patrons-southern-railway-not-inclined-to-extend-gomateshwara-and-csmt-express-to-mangaluru-central/article69445568.ece
Category : Mangaluru
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Publish Date: 2025-04-13 13:44:00