Nearly after two months, passenger train services on the Bengaluru-Mangaluru sector will resume on Wednesday with Bengaluru-Kannur/Karwar Express (Train Nos 16511/16513 via Shravanabelagola) starting its journey at 7.15 p.m. from Bengaluru.
The day train service will resume on Thursday with the running of Train No 16575 Yeshwantpur-Mangaluru Junction tri-weekly express starting its journey from Yeshwantpur at 7.10 a.m., according to South Western Railway's Chief Public Relations Officer E. Vijaya.
Services of night express trains from Karwar/Kannur to Bengaluru will resume only on Thursday as Train Nos 16518/16524 (via Mysuru) with the rakes of 16511/16513. Similarly, day train service from Karwar (Train No 16516) will be available only on Saturday as its rake, running as Train No 16515 Yeshwantpur-Karwar tri-weeky express, will have its journey on Friday to Karwar.
Passenger train services remained cancelled from August 14 on the sector following landslips on the Sakleshpur-Subrahmanya Road Ghat stretch.
Even as the Mysuru Division of South Western Railway, under whose jurisdiction the Hassan-Mangaluru section falls, was clearing one landslip, landslips occurred at other places owing to heavy rainfall.
In all, 65 landslips were reported in the section between August 14 and September 20, almost at the rate of two per day.
As against a normal rainfall of about 3,000 mm in the region between January and September, this section received almost 9,500 mm rainfall.
Though South Western Railway was confident of resuming train services by September-end, a landslip at the mouth of Tunnel No 48 near Siribagilu Railway Station on September 20 further delayed clearing work.
The stretch was fully cleared of debris and the track restored by October 1 when South Western Railway began operating goods trains. After being satisfied that the section is safe for passenger train operations, the South Western Railway decided to resume services.