Mangaluru: The task of restoring the landslips-affected track on Sakleshpur-Subrahmanya Road Ghat section was fairly completed by the Railway authorities, when it cleared the last of the landslips near Siribagilu Railway Station and even operated a goods train, on October 1, Monday.

At the end of September, a fresh and massive landslip at km 86 near Siribagilu Railway Station prolonged the restoration work. An entire hillock came onto the track, 25 metres in height and 150 metres long, while the workers were clearing the track. The Railways had to deploy 10 earth movers and over 60 men to clear the fresh debris. The men worked round-the-clock to restore the track.

Sources in South Western Railway informed that initially a material train [a train which transports material and machinery for restoration works] was run on the entire section. Later, a regular goods train with consignment was operated. Goods trains would be operated on the section henceforth routinely, the sources said. The decision to allow passenger trains on Bengaluru-Mangaluru section would be taken later by the Zonal headquarters after assessing safety aspects and observing goods trains movement, the sources said.

Passenger trains, an overnight express train between Bengaluru-Karwar/Kannur and two tri-weekly trains between Yeshwantpur-Mangaluru Junction and Yeshwantpur-Karwar, were cancelled on August 14 following landslips on the tracks induced by torrential rainfall