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The Hindu
2 days ago
- The Hindu
Mangaluru Mail: Old bogeys rich in history
At 8.10 p.m. every night from Chennai Central, a slice of history leaves the Tamil Nadu plains and heads towards the Western coast. Mangaluru Mail is one of the oldest trains in Southern Railway and its original number was 1 with the return down trip numbered at 2. Back then it was the Mangalore Mail before the Kannada twang caused a minor change in nomenclature. Having commenced operations in 1867, initially to Calicut (Kozhikode), the train moved all the way to Karnataka's coastal town. Initially pulled by a steam engine, the transition towards diesel and now electric, was gradual. Years later when computerisation of railway bookings clicked in, its numerical reference changed and now it is labelled at 12601 and 12602. The railway line to northern Kerala and coastal Karnataka was launched by the British as a tool to help transfer hill-produce, spices, tea, coffee and timber from Malabar and Coorg to the plains and Madras port. The advent of the Mangalore Mail also helped people migrate towards the Madras Presidency, for education and jobs. The original Udupi hotel owners now based in Chennai, first took this train while leaving their homes in Mangalore, Udupi and Kundapura. It was the same with Malayalis from Kasaragod to Shoranur, and they too got into setting up tea shops, hole-in-the-wall bakeries, while also seeking jobs in factories in the western suburbs. The train was also favoured by those in the field of arts. Directors like I.V. Sasi and multi-faceted artistes like Sreenivasan took this train and sought greener pastures in Kodambakkam. It is no surprise that in actor Sreenivasan's son Vineeth's recent films, the odd hat-tip to Mangalore Mail is placed. It was not just about people from the west coast rushing for a break in Chennai, this train also helped devotees from Tamil Nadu head towards Guruvayur and Mookambika with the alighting points being Kuttipuram and Mangaluru, respectively. In recent times, there are those who use this train to head to Manipal, while pursuing higher education. Over the years other trains were launched like the West Coast Express, a favourite of legendary star and former Chief Minister MGR, especially when he travelled to Mookambika temple. And the latest addition is the superfast express that leaves in the evening. A new demographic following has also latched onto the Mail thanks to migrant labourers from Bengal. Leaving at night, slithering through the Palghat Gap before dawn and reaching Mangaluru well past noon, this is a train rich in history, despite its old bogeys and the obvious need for a fresh coat of paint.
CBC
28-03-2025
- Business
- CBC
TransLink announces 4% fare increase for 2025
The TransLink board of directors has approved an average fare increase of four per cent, which will take effect on July 1, 2025. It's the highest increase since the start of the pandemic, with single-zone fares increasing 15 cents from $3.20 to $3.35. Two-zone fares will increase by 20 cents to $4.85, and three-zone fares will rise by 25 cents to $6.60. Fare increases were cancelled in 2020 as the pandemic hit and held at an average increase of 2.3 per cent per year from 2021 to 2024. The increases were kept below inflation and managed through the federal Safe Restart Agreement, designed to help provinces and territories recover from the effects of the pandemic. According to the TransLink board, the agreement expired on Dec. 31, 2024. Looming shortfall Last summer, TransLink said in a statement that current relief funding from the government would be coming to an end in 2025 and that without a new solution to address the funding gap, potential cuts would need to be made. The statement talked about cutting bus service in half, cancelling all NightBus and West Coast Express services, and significantly reducing HandyDART, SkyTrain and SeaBus services. WATCH | TransLink CEO explains funding challenges: Even with a recent crackdown on fares — TransLink reports that 2.2 million riders were checked last year — 2024 revenues of $63 million were down by approximately $2 million from 2023. TransLink says it expects to be short by about $72 million this year, and starting next year, it is predicting an annual operational shortfall of $600 million. Late last week, the federal government announced more than $1.5 billion over 10 years for transit in Metro Vancouver under the new Canada Public Transit Fund. Quinn said in a statement that he was looking forward to continuing TransLink's partnership with Ottawa to expand transit and meet the region's needs. Difficult for low-income riders, advocates say "Paying more and getting less is honestly, I think, why some people are protesting. "It's absolutely crazy in the Lower Mainland," said transit rider Faith Brown. "Why aren't our taxes paying for this?" Brown also expressed concern for people on fixed incomes and pensions and said she found it really frustrating that there weren't other options to help cover the costs falling on transit riders. Denis Agar agrees that it will be difficult for low-income riders. "There's no question that it's going to be a hardship, especially for people that have to do the three-zone fare," said Agar, who is the executive director of Movement, a non-profit that fights for better public transit in Metro Vancouver. "That means over $200 a month now for someone commuting from Surrey to Vancouver." He says that it's below what fares used to be in 2020 when inflation is factored in, but added that it's not much solace for people. Agar also said that the fare increase will only provide TransLink with about $20 million in revenue when it needs $600 million. He says he is pushing for low-income fare passes — which, he says, have worked in other cities, including Kamloops, Calgary, Edmonton and Regina.
