The Yeshwantpur-Karwar tri-weekly day express (Train No. 16515) went into the annals of Railway electrification history for being the first passenger train to be hauled by an electric loco on the newly electrified stretch of Thokur near Mangaluru to Karwar of the Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd.
A few freight trains were being hauled by electric locos between Mangaluru Junction and Karwar since May last while the Karwar day express became the first passenger train on Wednesday when it left Mangaluru Junction at 5 p.m. Railway personnel from Southern and Konkan Railways performed a symbolic pooja before flagging off the train on the occasion.
The Yeshwantpur-Karwar-Yeshwantpur Express undergoes loco reversal (changing of direction of the loco) at Mangaluru Junction upon its arrival from Yeshwantpur and Karwar for its onward journey. Henceforth, the train would be hauled by electric loco between Mangaluru Junction-Karwar-Mangaluru Junction and diesel loco between Mangaluru Junction-Yeshwantpur-Mangaluru Junction as the Mangaluru Junction-Chikkabanavara stretch of South Western Railway is yet to be electrified.
According to KRCL’s Regional Railway Manager, Karwar, B.B. Nikam, the 240-odd km KRCL network between Thokur (off Jokatte near Mangaluru) and Karwar was already electrified and certified by the Commissioner of Railway Safety for operation of freight as well as passenger trains. As of now, loco change from electric to diesel was being done at Karwar. As many as six electric sub stations were constructed along this stretch to energise locos.
The stretch between Karwar and Verna too was electrified and trial runs were recently conducted. KRCL was awaiting inspection and certification by the CRS for this stretch facilitating operation of electric loco hauled trains till Madgaon, a major junction on KRCL network. Electrification of Verna-Ratnagiri stretch too would get completed soon and the entire KRCL network of 716 km gets electrified by this March, Mr. Nikam said.
Expressing happiness over the development, Divisional Railway Manager of Southern Railway’s Palakkad Division Trilok Kothari said introduction of electric loco till Karwar saves considerable time in loco change at Mangaluru Junction thereby reducing congestion. “We will start sending more passenger trains with electric loco one by one,” he said.
