Vijayapura-Mangaluru Central Special to run as regular service from Sept. 1

The South Western Railway (SWR) on Tuesday announced that the Vijayapura-Mangaluru Central-Vijayapura Express Special will run as a regular service with effect from September 1 from Vijayapura and September 2 from Mangaluru.

Train No. 07377/07378 Vijayapura-Mangaluru Central-Vijayapura Express Special will run with revised numbers, Train No. 17377/378 from the dates of regular services, the Zone said in a notification. The services will operate with the existing timings, stoppages, composition and maintenance pattern.

The Railway Ministry had on June 27 approved SWR’s proposal to regularise the services of the special trains, bringing much relief to patrons who had been demanding regularisation of the services.

Dakshina Kannada MP Capt. Brijesh Chowta said that with the regularisation, the long-pending demand from patrons was fulfilled, much to the relief of passengers between the two cities.

This move would benefit patients from North Karnataka seeking medical care in Mangaluru, students pursuing education in coastal districts, and regular passengers.

The departure timing of the Mangaluru Central-Vijayapura service was revised from 2.35 p.m. to 4.45 p.m. at Mangaluru Central by the Ministry. The special train initially operated between Vijayapura and Mangaluru Junction till November 2019 and was cancelled during the COVID-19 outbreak. The service was restored from December 1, 2021, and extended to Mangaluru Central from April 20, 2024.

Passenger associations in Mangaluru, Davanagere, Hubballi, and Vijayapura, the then Dakshina Kannada MP Nalin Kumar Kateel, incumbent Capt. Chowta and Vijayapura MP Ramesh C. Jigajinagi had urged the Ministry to regularise the services.