Mangaluru Central Must Be Scheduled Halt for Yesvantpur–Madgaon Vande Bharat: P.V. Mohan
Mangaluru: AICC In-charge, CWC Member and MLC P. V. Mohan has urged the Railway Ministry and Railway Board to ensure that the proposed extension of the Mangaluru–Madgaon Vande Bharat Express to Yesvantpur does not bypass Mangaluru Central Railway Station, the existing terminal of the service.
Welcoming the extension of the Vande Bharat service to Bengaluru, Mohan said the move would significantly improve connectivity between coastal Karnataka, Bengaluru and Goa. However, he urged the Railway authorities to retain Mangaluru Central as a scheduled passenger halt on the extended service.
“Mangaluru Central is not merely another station on the route. It is the existing terminal of the Mangaluru–Madgaon Vande Bharat service and serves as a major passenger gateway for Mangaluru and the wider coastal region. Extending the train to Yesvantpur should add connectivity, not take away an existing facility from the people of Mangaluru,” he said.
Mohan pointed out that the Railway authorities had already demonstrated the operational feasibility of running the extended service through Mangaluru Central. A trial run between Yesvantpur and Mangaluru Central was successfully conducted on September 5, 2026. Therefore, he said, there was no operational justification for altering the approved routing to bypass Mangaluru Central.
He said retaining the halt would provide substantial benefits to passengers. Travellers arriving from different parts of Kerala and southern Karnataka would be able to conveniently interchange at Mangaluru Central and travel onwards to Bengaluru or Goa. This would improve accessibility, increase patronage and strengthen the commercial viability of the service.
“Railway connectivity must be designed around passengers, not merely operational convenience. If a train is being extended to Bengaluru, the people of Mangaluru should not be asked to travel to another station to access the service. Extension must mean additional connectivity, not displacement of existing connectivity,” he said.
Mohan also noted that the additional running time involved in routing the service through Mangaluru Central would be relatively limited and justified by the substantial passenger benefits. Since the Vande Bharat is a self-propelled trainset, locomotive reversal at the terminal would not be required, he added.
He appealed to the Railway Minister, the Chairman and CEO of the Railway Board, and the Southern Railway and South Western Railway authorities to review the proposed operational plan and ensure that Mangaluru Central remains a scheduled halt in both directions of the extended Yesvantpur–Mangaluru–Madgaon Vande Bharat service.
“This is not a demand against Bengaluru, Goa or any other region. It is a demand for a fair and passenger-oriented railway service. Let the Vande Bharat connect Bengaluru with Goa through Mangaluru, and let Mangaluru Central remain at the heart of that connectivity,” Mohan said.