The Paschima Karavali Railway Yatri Abhivruddi Samiti has urged Union Minister of State for Railways V Somanna to find solutions to the persistent late running of Train No. 16511 Bengaluru-Kozhikode Express. Samiti members, who submitted a memorandum to Somanna on Saturday, stated that the train has been running about 45-50 minutes behind schedule after reaching the Subrahmanya Road railway station.
Convenience and Punctuality Concerns
The forum emphasized that the train is a convenient and highly sought-after overnight service for accessing Bengaluru from coastal Karnataka. However, it has lost punctuality over the last six months, causing significant inconvenience to commuters in the region. The members urged, "Kindly direct the concerned to resolve the issue of delayed operation of the train without changing its existing timing."
Impact of Proposed Vande Bharat Express
The samiti also urged the minister to ensure that the introduction of the Madgaon-Bengaluru Vande Bharat Express does not affect the schedule of the Mangaluru Junction-Yeshvantapur Gomateshwara Express. They noted that the current timing of Train No. 16575/76 Mangaluru Junction-Yeshvantapur Gomateshwara Express is convenient for the public. It is learned that the present timing may be altered to facilitate the operation of the proposed Vande Bharat Express, which would cause a severe blow to daily commuters.
In response, Minister V Somanna assured that the railways will not take any decision that would cause inconvenience to commuters. He added, "Any decision will be taken keeping the convenience of the public in mind."
