Vasco to Belgavi bi-weekly train flagged off

Belagavi: Union ministers Suresh Angadi and Shripad Naik on Wednesday flagged off the bi-weekly train between Vasco (Goa) and Belagavi (Karnataka) which will halt at the waterfall.

“All this time, trains used to pass from the waterfall’s side but passengers never had the opportunity to witness it. Now, passengers can get down from the train for 10 minutes and enjoy the beauty of the waterfall,” Angadi, the minister of state for railways, said.

Dudhsagar Falls located on the Mandovi river is among the country’s tallest waterfall. It is located on the Madgaon-Belagavi rail route about 46 km east of Madgaon and 80 km south of Belagavi.

Angadi said the decision to halt the train at the waterfall has been taken on a trial basis and its further continuance will be based on a review.

At present, tourists have to get down at Molem village and travel through a forested area to reach the waterfall.

Talking about the bi-weekly train, Angadi said there was persistent demand for a direct passenger train exclusively from Vasco to Belagavi as very few express trains connect the two cities.

Tourists now will not have to travel through a thick forest to reach the scenic Dudhsagar Falls on Goa-Karnataka border, as the South Western Railway (SWR) has provided a 10-minute halt to one of its trains for passengers to get down and enjoy its beauty.