Report by Michael Rodrigues
Team Mangalorean Udupi
 
Udupi: Railway Yatri Sangha based here has decided to stage a Rail Roko protest on August 16 to press forth its demand for bifurcation of the coaches of Yesvantpur – Bangalore – Mangalore train.
 
A press note issued by Sangha president R L Dias stated that No16517 Yesvantpur- Bangalore- Mangalore night train was extended to Kannur Kerala against the wishes of people of coastal Karnataka.
 
The Sangha appealed to the Southern Railway to give the income and expenditure details of this train which runs from Mangalore to Kannur and back over a distance of 132 kms.
 
Under RTI Act the Sangha got the reply, which was a shocking surprise to all. The train has been running at a loss of Rs 2 lakh every day. On the basis of this, the Sangha filed a writ petition in the high court. The judgment has come in the favour of Sangha but the Southwestern Railway obtained 3 months' time to implement of the judgment.
 
In this period, the Southwestern Railway sent a proposal to the Indian Railway Board in Delhi that when the trains arrived in Mangalore, it be bifurcated into 10 + 7 coaches -  10 to go to Karwar and7 to Kannur. Even though 2 years have passed, the Railway Board is sleeping over the matter.
 
The Railway Yatri Sangha has decided in its meeting that in case the board does not implement this by coming Independence day, the Sangha will make a Rail Roko on August 16 at Udupi railway station, said Dias in press release.