The Railway Board ordered restoration of stoppage for Train Nos. 16345/346 Mumbai Lokamanya Tilak Terminus-Thiruvananthapuram Central Netravathi Express at Kundapura with effect from March 4 for a period of six months on an experimental basis.
| Photo Credit: ANIL KUMAR SASTRY
The Railway Board ordered restoration of stoppage for Train Nos. 16345/346 Mumbai Lokamanya Tilak Terminus-Thiruvananthapuram Central Netravathi Express at Kundapura with effect from March 4 for a period of six months on an experimental basis.
In an order issued on February 28, the board also ordered stoppage of Train Nos. 12619/620 Mumbai LTT-Mangaluru Central Matsyagandha Express at Barkur Railway Station, near Brahmavara, from March 4 on an experimental basis for six months.
The Railway Ministry did not restore stoppage for Netravathi Express at Kundapura after normalcy prevailed post-COVID-19. Passengers have been demanding stoppage for Netravathi Express at Kundapura. The service played a crucial role for residents of Kundapura, and surrounding areas, to travel to Mumbai as well as to Kerala.
Besides petitioning the Railway Ministry, the Kundapura Railway Passengers’ Association had also urged Udupi-Chikkamagaluru MP and Union Minister of State Shobha Karandlaje to ensure restoration of the stoppage.
A communiqué from Ms. Karandlaje’s office said Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav responded to her demand for restoration of stoppage for Netravathi Express at Kundapura, provision for stoppage of Matsyagandha Express at Barkur, and some other demands for stoppage of trains in Kadur and Birur in Chikkamagaluru district.
She had told the Railway Minister that not restoring stoppage for Netravathi Express at Kundapura has severely affected passengers travelling between Mumbai and Kundapura, and Goa and Kundapura. Similarly, hundreds of people, including businesspersons, travel from Brahmavara region to Mumbai. Hence, she had demanded a halt for Matsyagandha Express at Barkur.
