Rail traffic between Bengaluru and Mangaluru restored

Mangaluru: Rail services on the vital Bengaluru-Mangaluru route resumed on Monday night after South Western Railway restored the rain-hit track in the Sakleshpur ghat section, ending a two-day disruption caused by landslides.

Operations were suspended after heavy rain triggered mudslides between Siribagilu and Yedakumari in the Subrahmanya Road-Sakleshpur section, leaving several passenger trains cancelled or diverted over the weekend.

Railway authorities said the track was declared fit for operations at 7.25 pm after engineers completed restoration work and carried out safety inspections. “The line has been certified fit for train movement after clearance of debris and stabilisation of the affected slope,” Mysuru Divisional Railway Manager Mudit Mittal said.

Night services, including the Vijayapura-Mangaluru Express, KSR Bengaluru-Karwar Panchaganga Express, KSR Bengaluru-Kozhikode Express and SMVT Bengaluru-Murdeshwar Express, resumed operations on Monday.

The Karwar-KSR Bengaluru Panchaganga Express (16596), however, was cancelled because the rake could not be positioned in time following the disruption. Railway teams worked continuously with the help of relief trains, excavators and heavy earth-moving equipment to remove mud and large boulders from the track. The embankment was reinforced with sandbags before traffic was allowed to resume.

Most trains departing on Monday night ran behind schedule, with delays ranging from two hours to over three hours, owing to the late completion of restoration work. The Bengaluru-Mangaluru line is a crucial transport corridor linking Karnataka’s capital with the coastal districts and Kerala. The restoration of services has brought relief to hundreds of passengers affected by the suspension during the weekend.