Mangaluru-Puttur passenger train to be extended to Subrahmanya?

Mangaluru: The long-standing demand to extend the Mangaluru-Puttur passenger train to Subrahmanya has finally received approval from the South Western and Southern Railway zones. The proposal has now been submitted to the Railway Board for final consent.

Decades ago, during the meter gauge era, trains 06484/85 and 06486/87 used to run between Subrahmanya and Mangaluru in the morning and evening until 2005. However, following track conversion, the service was limited to Puttur.

Commuters and local leaders have since been consistently urging for the extension of this service back to Subrahmanya.

Dakshina Kannada MP Capt. Brijesh Chowta raised this matter during the parliamentary session in July, pressing for the train’s extension.

Similarly, Hanumanth Kamath, a member of the Mangaluru Railway Users Advisory Committee, has been presenting the proposal during the Railway Users Advisory Committee meetings in Palakkad for the past two to three years. Railway advocacy groups also submitted petitions to the Railway Department through South Zone MPs.

Last month, officials from the West Coast Rail Yatri Development Committee met with Southern Railway officials in Chennai and put forth the demand for a train extension to Puttur. Following sustained efforts, all technical hurdles have reportedly been cleared, and the proposal has been forwarded to the Railway Board on November 18. An official nod is now awaited.

Benefits for Daily Commuters

If implemented, this extension will greatly benefit hundreds of daily commuters traveling towards Subrahmanya, particularly students from Sullia’s rural areas who commute to schools and colleges in Mangaluru.

Tentative Timings

As per the provisional schedule:

• The train will depart from Mangaluru Central at 4:00 AM and reach Subrahmanya by 6:30 AM.
• It will depart from Subrahmanya at 7:00 AM and return to Mangaluru Central by 9:30 AM.
• In the evening, it will leave Mangaluru Central at 6:00 PM, reaching Subrahmanya by 8:15 PM.
• It will then depart Subrahmanya at 8:40 PM, arriving at Mangaluru Central by 11:15 PM.

“We have submitted the proposal along with schedule revisions and related details to the Southern Railway. They have forwarded it to the Railway Board.” – Arun Kumar Chaturvedi, Divisional Railway Manager, Palakkad Division

“The proposal for extending the Mangaluru-Puttur passenger train to Subrahmanya has been submitted to the Railway Board by the Southern Railway. I have pressed the Railway Board and the Railway Minister for its speedy approval and implementation.” – Capt. Brijesh Chowta, Member of Parliament