Railways to run ‘Election Special’ between Bengaluru, Karwar

The Railways has decided to operate a Tatkal Special Train between Yeshwantpur-Karwar-Yeshwantpur on April 17 and 18. A notification of Konkan Railway Corporation said that South Western Railway in coordination with Southern and Konkan Railways has decided to operate one up and down service of Tatkal Special to cater to extra passengers during the Lok Sabha polls between Yeshwantpur and Karwar. Kota-based Jai Bhargava Balaga had petitioned the Chief Electoral Officer to direct the SWR to operate a special train between Bengaluru and the coast on the eve of the polling date to facilitate thousands of coastal people residing in Bengaluru to caste their vote. The CEO in turn had asked the SWR to examine the grievance. SWR thereafter sent a proposal to the Railway Board and got the approval to operate the Tatkal Special train. The Tatkal Special (06557) will leave Yeshwantpur at 10 p.m. on April 17 to reach Mangaluru Junction at 8 a.m. on the polling day April 18; Udupi at 10.18 a.m.; Kundapura at 10.50 a.m.; and Karwar at 3.30 p.m. In the return direction, the train (06558) will leave Karwar at 6 p.m. on April 18, Kundapura at 8.50 p.m., Udupi at 9.30 p.m. and Mangaluru Junction at 1.10 a.m. of April 19 to reach Yeshwantpur at 10.35 a.m. The train will stop at Chikkabanavar, Nelamangala, Kunigal, B.G. Nagar, Channarayapatna, Hassan, Sakleshpur, Subrahmanya Road, Yedamangala, Kabaka Puttur, Bantwal, Mangaluru Junction, Surathkal, Mulki, Udupi, Barkur, Kundapura, Mookambika Road Byndoor, Bhatkal, Murdeshwar, Honnavar, Kumta, Gokarna Road and Ankola. It would have four 3-Tier AC coaches, 12 Sleeper class coaches and two luggage-cum-brake vans. Thanking CEO Karnataka, SWR, SR and KR for facilitating the Election Special train, Ajith Shetty Kiradi from Jai Bhargava Balaga, urged people to make use of the facility in large numbers. He also said it was a victory of the common man against the ‘bus mafia’ that fleeces passengers during festival seasons. People keen on exercising their franchise in their native places had been complaining to authorities about fares being jacked up by private bus operators as well as KSRTC on the eve of the election. Source: The Hindu