B’luru-coastal K’taka-Kerala bus service improve slightly, trains still affected

• Three Volvo buses left from Bengaluru for the coastal districts
• Trains starting from Majesticcancelled due to heavy rain and landslides in Kerala

Bengaluru: There is a slight improvement in bus connectivity between Bengaluru and coastal Karnataka and Kerala, but the train services still remain paralyzed.

Bus services between Bengaluru and Kozhikode have been restored with one bus plying along Bangalore-Calicut and Calicut-Bangalore routes. four buses from Kozhikode arrived in Bengaluru on Saturday.

A Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) official observed that there was a slight improvement in road conditions as rains had started to recede in the districts along Malnad and the state’s coast. Relief operations are still going on in Palghat-Thrissur-Ernakulam route hence the route is open and 13 in one direction are available here, he said.

Three premium (Multiaxle Volvo Airavat Club class) buses left from Bengaluru for the coastal districts at 6am with 45 passengers, at 7am with 37 passengers and at 8am with 42 passengers on Saturday. Bus services to Mercara via Kushalnagar have been restored since Saturday morning.

Due to landslides and road blockages, buses have been plying on the longer Mangalore-SK border-Karkala-Kudremukh-Kalasa- Kottigehara-Mudigere-Hassan-Bengaluru route since Friday.

Railways

The Railways have cancelled Bengaluru-Kanyakumari Express, Yeshwantpur-Kannur and KSR Bengaluru-Kannur trains since Saturday. The railways also cancelled Ernakulam-Bengaluru Express and also partial cancellation of KSR Bengaluru-Ernakulam train between Coimbatore and Bengaluru.

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The trains were cancelled since Friday afternoon as fresh landslides were reported on August 15 and August 16 at many locations in the Ghat section, said SG Yatish, Senior Divisional Commercial Manager, South Western Railway. The trains starting from Majestic were cancelled due to heavy rain and landslides in Kerala, he added.

KSR Bengaluru-Kannur/Karwar Express and Kannur/Karwar-KSR Bengaluru journeys commencing on Friday were cancelled While Yeshwantpur – Karwar Express was announced as being partially cancelled between Hassan and Karwar for trains leaving from August 17, 20 and 22.

Yeshwantpur- Mangalore Express train is also partially cancelled with no train running between Hassan and Mangaluru for journeys on August 19 and 21.