Mangaluru : Landslip-affected stretches of Hassan-Mangaluru Railway line in the Sakleshpur-Subrahmanya Road Ghat section have been restored and were declared fit for resuming passenger train services on Sunday. Train services remained suspended between Bengaluru-Mangaluru since August first week due to frequent landslips.

A communique from South Western Railway’s Mysuru Division here said that the affected stretches on the ghat section were finally cleared on Saturday and a goods train was operated to test the suitability of the track for train operation. The 55-km ghat section had witnessed landslips and soil erosion at several locations due to heavy rain forcing the South Western Railway to cancel passenger train services. While Mysuru Divisional Railway Manager Aparna Garg regularly visited the affected stretches to monitor restoration works, South Western Railway General Manager A.K. Singh too had visited the area last week to encourage workers engaged in the restoration work. The Railways undertook the restoration works by deploying hundreds of men and machinery on the section that is accessible only by rail, to restore the track. They worked relentlessly amid hostile weather conditions, said the communique.

However, the Kannur/Karwar-Bengaluru overnight express (Train Nos 16512/16514) of Sunday remained cancelled as the train rake is held up in the landslip-affected stretch of Padil-Kulashekara near Mangaluru under Southern Railway, said another bulletin from South Western Railway. As such, though the Sakleshpur section is clear for train traffic, no service from Mangaluru would be operated towards Bengaluru on Sunday.
On the other hand, the Bengaluru-Kannur/Karwar overnight express via Mysuru (Train Nos 16517/16523) leaving Bengaluru on Sunday night would run as usual till Mangaluru; but its operation to Karwar remains cancelled due to the landslip in Kulashekara.