Karnataka Minister Gundu Rao opposes extension of Bengaluru-Kannur train up to Kozhikode

Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao has opposed the extension of the Bengaluru-Kannur express train service up to Kozhikode in Kerala.

Published on: Feb 7, 2024, 13:40:16 IST

ANIPosted by Yamini C S

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao has written to Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw appealing to reconsider the decision to extend the Bengaluru-Kannur express train service up to Kozhikode in Kerala

Karnataka health minister Dinesh Gundu Rao. (HT photo)

Gundu Rao, who is also the district in-charge minister for Dakshina Kannada, said in his letter that the decision is adversely affecting thousands of commuters of the said train.

READ | Vande Bharat trains between Bengaluru - Coimbatore and Mangaluru - Madgaon launched. Full details

"Attention is drawn to the Railway Ministry's decision dated 23.01.2024 to extend train Nos 16511 and 16512 between Bengaluru and Kannur, Kerala to Kozhikode. Since this decision is adversely affecting thousands of commuters of the said train, the following may kindly be perused," Gundu Rao said in the letter.

"Train Nos. 16511 and 16512 is the only train service between Bangalore and Kannur via Mangalore. This is an overnight express train, which is highly demanded and always runs full. By extending the train to another destination about one and a half hours away, additional demand for the same number of seats is being created. It is hard to find any logic in extending a train service that always runs full between two stations," he added.

He said that three stations, Thalassery, Vadakara, and Quilandi, are to be added between Kannur and Kozhikode, which will increase demand at all stations other than Kozhikode.

"Due to this extension, the availability of reserved berths will be drastically reduced in Train No. 16512, as the unreserved coaches will be occupied by passengers between Kannur and Kozhikode," Gundu Rao said.

READ | After tunnels, DCM DK Shivakumar proposes 250-metre-tall Skydeck in Bengaluru | Watch video

He said that Kozhikode is currently well-served by train connectivity.

"Train No. 16526/527 connects Kozhikode to Bangalore every day, while train No. 16566/567 connects Kozhikode to Bangalore weekly via Shoranur, Palakkad, and Coimbatore. The demand for these trains is high and they run continuously from Kerala. As a result, any remaining passengers from these trains will switch to 16511, making it impossible for Karnataka coastal passengers to get seats," Gundu Rao said.

"Under the circumstances, kindly reconsider the decision to extend train Nos. 16511 and 16512 between Bengaluru and Kannur to Kozhikode, and the train services may be retained as before. This may kindly be treated as a request from the Government of Karnataka, as well as thousands of people from coastal Karnataka," Gundu Rao concluded the letter.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yamini C S
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.Read More

Get the latest City News, local updates, weather alerts and breaking stories from Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and other major cities across India on Hindustan Times.