Mangaluru: Mangaluru railway region’s status of being under three railway zones appears to have again come in the way of speeding up the Bengaluru-Karwar Night Express. While Mangaluru Central and Mangaluru Junction come under Southern Railway, the network beyond Thokur towards Mumbai comes under Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd., (KRCL) and the line beyond Padil towards Hassan falls under South-Western Railway.

Logically, the arrival of the train at Mangaluru Central and Karwar should have been advanced at least by two hours upon diversion. The train would have reached Mangaluru Central at around 6 a.m. via the shortest route if it departs Bengaluru at 8.30 p.m., the current timing. If everything was in order, the Karwar service could have left Mangaluru at around 6.30 a.m. reaching Karwar before noon.

However, SR has reportedly informed SWR that path and platforms are not available at Mangaluru Central at the advanced timings. Similarly, KRCL reportedly said that a path was not available for advancing the services, according to sources.

SWR has thus tentatively decided to speed up the train within its jurisdiction, Bengaluru till Padil, by postponing the departure to 10.20 p.m. The train will thus arrive at and depart from Mangaluru Central at the existing timing, 8.15 a.m. and 9 a.m., reaching Karwar at the present timing of 2.35 p.m.

However, in the return journey, the train could reach Bengaluru via the diverted route at 6.10 a.m., from the present 8.20 a.m., a reduction of two hours 10 minutes. SWR has decided to shift the terminal for Bengaluru-Karwar/Kannur Express to Yeshwantpur on all days following operational constraints at Krantivira Sangolli Rayanna railway station.

Adequate pit lines (for cleaning the rake) and stabling lines (for stationing the rake) are not available if the train is operated via Shravanabelagola, sources said. SWR is in the process of finalising the days of operation on the diverted route as well as the existing route, via Mysuru.

SR’s in-charge General Manager Sudhanshu Mani and KRCL’s Chairman and Managing Director Sanjay Gupta said the matter needs to be discussed further by all the three zones.

The proposed diversion of the Bengaluru-Karwar/Kannur Night Express four days a week via the shortest route of Shravanabelagola will be from February 10, 2018.

While the Railway Board has already approved South Western Railway’s proposal to this effect, the Railways may not be able to implement it immediately as passengers have made advance reservations for the existing services up to 120 days.