Landslides recur on Mangaluru-Bengaluru railway route amid ongoing debris clearance

Subrahmanya: The Mangaluru-Bengaluru railway route continues to face disruptions due to landslides in the Achangi area near Sakaleshpur, between Sakaleshpur and Ballupete. The landslide, which occurred early on August 10, caused train services to be halted, and debris clearance operations have been ongoing since Sunday.

During the clearing process on Saturday, another landslide occurred, trapping a Hitachi machine under the debris. Fortunately, the operator managed to escape unharmed. The debris clearance work is nearing completion, but there are concerns about further landslides from both sides of the affected area.

Authorities have indicated that the remaining unstable soil must be cleared to ensure safety. Train services will resume only after the tracks have been repaired and declared safe for travel. However, train services are likely to remain suspended for the next two days.

In addition, another landslide has occurred not far from the current worksite, further delaying the restoration efforts. Large boulders have fallen onto the tracks, and removing them has proven to be a challenging task.

Passengers have been severely inconvenienced by the lack of proper rail service for the past two weeks, due to the landslides and other issues.

SWR cancels trains

The South Western Railway (SWR) has announced the cancellation of several train services on August 12, 13, and 14 due to incomplete debris clearance work on the Mangaluru-Bengaluru railway route.

The following trains will be canceled on August 12 and 13: KSR Bengaluru-Karwar Express, SMVT Bengaluru-Murdeshwar Express, Murdeshwar-SMVT Bengaluru Express, Vijayapura-Mangaluru Central Express, Kannur-KSR Bengaluru Express, and KSR Bengaluru-Kannur Express. On August 13, the Yeshwantpur-Karwar Express, Karwar-Yeshwantpur Express, and Karwar-KSR Bengaluru Express will also be canceled. Additionally, the Mangaluru Central-Vijayapura Express will be canceled on August 13 and 14.

Route changes have been implemented for certain trains. Train number 16512, Kannur-KSR Bengaluru Express, will operate via Shoranur Junction, Podanur, Erode, Salem, and Bangarapet Junction. Train number 16511, KSR Bengaluru-Kannur Express, will also follow this altered route from KSR Bengaluru.