Mumbai-Karwar service flagged off

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Bellevision Media Network

Mangalore, 15 August 2010: “There can be no partiality in railway as it unites entire India” said KH Muniyappa, Minister of state for Railways. He was addressing the gathering after flagging off the extended service of Mumbai CST-Karwar Tri-weekly Superfast Express to Mangalore Junction (Kankanady) Railway Station here on Saturday morning.

 

Mr Muniyappa said that with the inauguration of the extension of Train No.2133/2134 Karwar-CST Mumbai up to Mangalore, the passengers of the coastal areas of the state will be immensely benefitted for travelling to Mumbai. “The extended train service has 253km length and will have stoppage at Udupi, Byndoor, Suratkal and Kumta. These stations en route are well known places, each having its own significance. The train service will be tri-weekly departing Mangalore on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday,” he said.

 

 

He said that the Centre has extended all possible assistance to Karnataka for development of rail connectivity and augmenting passenger facilities. There are 10 ongoing projects in the state covering a distance of 1665.4km with an estimated cost of 4855.25 crore. The railways have earmarked Rs. 306.10 crores for these projects in the current budget and the state government has earmarked 170 crores. Out of 10 projects, 3 works are on the verge of completion and the rest works are in progress, he briefed.

 

Mr Muniyappa also said that as many as 14 ROB/RUB have been sanctioned for the State with a cost of 51.55 crores, out of which the state government would contribute 20.37 crores. He said that 77 unmanned Level Crossing have qualified for manning and the work would be taken up for the same in due course.

 

 

He further said that there are over 17,000 Railway Level Crossings in the country and his ministry has taken necessary measures to make these places as accident free. He said that Centre has kept Rs.31, 000 crore for this purpose. “It is our decision that there should be no Level Crossing left unmanned”, he added.

 

Minister stressed that safety is the first priority of the railway. “We want to protect railway, its property and its passengers” he continued. Nalin Kumar Kateel, DK MP urged the minister to introduce new trains between Mangalore - Mumbai and Mangalore-Bangalore. He said the Mangalore Railway Station comes under the Palghat division in Southern Railway is the highest revenue earning station, but has always been given step-motherly treatment, which has to be stopped once and for all.

 

 

Mr Kateel also requested Muniyappa to consider the long pending demand of Mangaloreans for establishing Mangalore as a Division under the South Western Railway seriously. Deepak Krishna, General Manager, SK Raina, Divisional Railway, Palghat Division,  Oscar Fernandes, MP and Congress Leader, Yogish Bhat, UT Khader, Rajani Dugganna, Santhosh Kumar Bhandari were among those present.