Captain Chowta opposes proposal to revise timings of Gomateshwara Express

Dakshina Kannada Member of Parliament Captain Brijesh Chowta has taken strong exceptions to Railway Ministry’s proposal to revise the departure timing of Mangaluru Junction – Yeshwantpur tri-weekly and weekly expresses from Mangaluru.

In a letter to Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Saturday, October 31, Capt. Chowta said he understood the Ministry was proposing to shift the departure timing from the present 7:00 a.m. to 11:40 a.m. for Train No. 16576, Mangaluru Junction-Yeshwantpur tri-weekly Gomateshwara Express, and Train No. 16540, Mangaluru Junction-Yeshwantpur weekly Express, as a consequence of which their arrival time at Yeshwantpur would be postponed from 4:30 p.m. to 10:15 p.m. Such a substantial change would affect the convenience and accessibility of this important daytime connection.

He said the existing daytime train service between Bengaluru and Mangaluru is an important and widely utilised rail connection for people travelling between the two regions. Its current schedule has been particularly convenient for daily and frequent passengers, including students, working professionals, business travellers, patients and families.

The MP said the present schedule allows passengers to undertake their journey during the day and reach Bengaluru at a reasonable hour. Shifting the departure to late morning and arrival to late evening would cause considerable inconvenience, particularly to passengers who depend on this service for work, education, medical appointments and onward travel.

“Given the importance of the Bengaluru-Mangaluru rail corridor and the considerable passenger dependence on this service, I request the Ministry of Railways and South Western Railway to kindly reconsider the proposed changes and retain the existing timings of the Yesvantpur-Mangaluru Express and its return service,” he said.

“Any changes to the schedules of established passenger services should be undertaken after due consideration of passenger requirements and consultations with relevant stakeholders,” the MP told the Ministry.