SWR adds 5 coaches to Bengaluru-Karwar Panchaganga Express temporarily
The South Western Railway (SWR) has decided to augment Train No. 16595/596 KSR Bengaluru-Karwar Panchaganga Express with five additional coaches on temporary basis to fill the void resulting from cancellation of day train services on the sector for five months.
Panchaganga Express runs with 14 LHB coaches — one first AC-cum-2-tier AC, one 2-tier AC, one 3-tier AC, seven sleeper class, two general second class, one luggage-cum-brake van and one generator car coaches. The SWR will add two 3-tier AC Economy, two general second class and one sleeper class coaches with effect from June 11 from Bengaluru-end, and from June 12 from Karwar-end, taking the total to 19 coaches.
This decision comes in the backdrop of Udupi-Chikkamagaluru MP Kota Srinivas Poojary and Kumta MLA Dinakar Shetty demanding an additional overnight service between Karwar and Bengaluru during the time the day rains remain cancelled.
SWR had cancelled Train Nos. 16575/576 and 16539/540 Yeshwantpur-Mangaluru Junction tri weekly Gomateshwara Express and weekly, and Train No. 16515/516 Yeshwantpur-Karwar tri-weekly express services for 154 days from May 31 to facilitate electrification work on the Sakleshpur-Subrahmanya Road ghat section.
Passenger associations of Kundapura and Uttara Kannada have said that SWR responded to their demand for adding more coaches to the Panchaganga without affecting the timetable. Coach augmentation would result in addition of about 400 seats, they said.
Augmentation of coaches should not affect punctuality
Stating that the tight timetable, leaving Bengaluru at 6.50 p.m. to reach Karwar at 8.25 a.m. and leaving Karwar at 6 p.m. to reach Bengaluru at 7 a.m., was the reason for the Panchaganga Express becoming the most-sought-after service in the coast, passenger associations have urged the Railways to ensure the timetable is not affected by augmentation of coaches.
The crossing of Trains 16595/596 after coach augmentation would happen at Subrahmanya Road station because Siribagilu station on the ghat section where the trains cross at present, cannot accommodate trains with more than 15 coaches. The patrons do not want the change in crossing to delay the Karwar-Bengaluru trains reaching their destination.
Similarly, patrons of Dakshina Kannada have demanded that the changed crossing should not affect the running of KSR Bengaluru-Kannur (Train 16511) overnight express.
G. Karthik Kamath, a patron, said the SWR should augment coaches on Trains 16585/586 SMVT Bengaluru-Murdeshwar-SMVT Bengaluru and 16511/512 KSR Bengaluru-Kannur too to offset the cancellation of day trains.
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