Mangaluru: Anticipating Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu’s visit to Kabaka-Puttur Railway Station on October 1, the Kukke Shree Subrahmanya-Mangalore Railway Commuters Forum, Puttur, has planned to submit a fresh list of demands from the region, including splitting the Bengaluru-Karwar/Kannur night express in to two full-fledged trains.

Mr. Prabhu is expected to attend a mega de-addiction programme at Dharmasthala on October 1, after which he is expected to visit Bantwal and Puttur Railway Stations coming under Mysuru Division of South Western Railway.

Atul Gupta, Divisional Railway Manager, Mysuru, told The Hindu, the Minister’s visit is yet to be confirmed officially. Personnel were refurbishing the station and other railway premises at Kabaka-Puttur in anticipation of Minister’s visit, he added.

Forum Convenor Sudarshan told that they have been submitting periodical representations to successive Railway Ministers detailing the demands from the region, which will also benefit other areas.

The demand for carving out a separate Mangaluru Division from Railway networks of Southern Railway till Kasargod, Konkan Railway till Karwar and SWR till Hassan will continue to be made till they are met, he said. Alternatively, Mangaluru Railway region should be brought under Konkan Railway, he added.

The pressing demand, however, is bifurcating the Bengaluru-Karwar/Kannur night express train as not all passengers between Bengaluru-Mangaluru-Bengaluru are getting accommodation on the single train. Therefore, both trains should have separate rakes of 24 coaches each; while Bengaluru-Karwar train should be routed via Arsikere/ Shravanabelagola, the Kannur train should be routed via Mysuru.

The journey timing should also be brought down at least by two hours, Mr. Sudarshan said.

Demanding upgrading Subrahmanya Road Station as a terminal station, the forum has urged the Ministry to commence a new train to New Delhi on the Konkan Route.

The tri-weekly day train between Karwar-Yeshwanthpur should be converted as Kudla Express between Mangaluru and Bengaluru and be run via Shravanabelagola to benefit passengers.

The forum also demanded the re-introduction of Mahalakshmi Express between Mangaluru-Miraj via Arsikere or Madgaon that was cancelled before the gauge conversion.

To facilitate pilgrims visiting Kukke Subrahmanya, more trains should be extended to Subrahmanya Road station, including Mangaluru-Madgaon Intercity Express; Mumbai CST-Mangaluru Junction Express; Mangaluru-Thiruvananthapuram Maveli Express; Howrah-Vasco-da-Gama Amaravathi Express and Patna-Vasco-da-Gama Express, the forum suggested.