Patrons and passenger associations in Dakshina Kannada have urged the Railway Ministry to extend the Tirunelveli-Mangaluru Junction-Tirunelveli Weekly Express to Subrahmanya Road thereby connecting Subrahmanya Kshetras in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka.

Extending the service to Subrahmanya Road would establish a unique and spiritually significant rail corridor connecting major temples dedicated to Lord Subrahmanya across South India. Pilgrims could have darshan of the serpent God starting from the famed Kukke Subrahmanya Temple in Dakshina Kannada district to the renowned Arulmigu Subramanya Swamy Temple in Tiruchendur covering Subrahmanya temples in Kasargod, Kannur, Palani (Murugan Temple) and many more, said DK District Rail, an online forum of train patrons in Dakshina Kannada.

Introduced on March 11, the service has already become an important link between southern Tamil Nadu and coastal Karnataka, serving thousands of passengers travelling for pilgrimage, education, employment, tourism and medical purposes.

Connecting hinterlands

The extension would also significantly improve connectivity for passengers travelling to Shri Kshetra Dharmasthala, Puttur, Bantwala and surrounding regions of Dakshina Kannada from southern Tamil Nadu. Currently, passengers would alight at Mangaluru Junction or Mangaluru Central and depend on buses or private vehicles to travel the hinterlands. There is no direct train service from the Bantwal–Puttur–Subrahmanya region towards Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Goa or Mumbai at present.

Passengers travelling towards Kerala presently depend on direct bus services from Puttur and Sullia towards Kasaragod and thereafter shift to trains or other modes of transport for further travel. Many others travel to Mangaluru to board trains, which increases both travel time and expenses.

Operational feasibility

The Forum pointed out that Train No. 16708, leaving Tirunelveli at 3.45 p.m. on Wednesdays arrives Mangaluru Junction at 6.55 a.m. It has a huge slack time between Kasargod (departure at 4.05 a.m.) and Mangaluru Junction. Usually it has been arriving at Mangaluru Junction before 6 a.m.

Ravi Kumar, who recently travelled from Madurai to Mangaluru on the service said the train could easily reach Mangaluru Junction before 5.30 a.m. The Forum said there would be sufficient lay-over time for the service at Mangaluru Junction before it departs as Train No. 16707 towards Tirunelveli on Thursdays. The lay-over time could effectively be used to operate it till Subrahmanya Road.

It said several trains already operate to non-terminal stations while maintaining their primary maintenance at major terminals. Train No. 16585/86 SMVT Bengaluru – Murudeshwar Express and Train No. 12789/90 Kacheguda – Kumta Superfast Express are some of the examples.