Sun Apr 13 08:14:04 UTC 2025: ## Southern Railway Delays Extension of Trains to Mangaluru Central Despite Promises
**Mangaluru, April 13, 2025** – The Southern Railway has reneged on its promise to extend the Yeshwantpur-Mangaluru Junction Gomateshwara Express and the Mumbai CSMT-Mangaluru Junction Superfast Express to Mangaluru Central station. Despite the addition of platforms at Mangaluru Central last year, the railway cites ongoing infrastructure work as the reason for the continued delay, pushing the extension back at least another year.
This decision comes despite earlier assurances from the Southern Railway, including a February statement by the Palakkad Division’s Divisional Railway Manager, Arun Kumar Chaturvedi, that the extension would occur in April. The railway’s headquarters has also presented conflicting statements on the matter, initially agreeing to the extension in February 2024 before reversing its decision in June. Even an appeal by Dakshina Kannada MP Captain Brijesh Chowta failed to sway the Railway Ministry.
G. Hanumanth Kamath, President of the Paschima Karavali Railway Yatri Abhivriddhi Samithi, points out that the Ministry sanctioned the operation of both trains from Mangaluru Central. He criticizes the Southern Railway for consistently delaying the extension under the pretext of platform constraints. Kamath also advocates for increasing the number of coaches on the CSMT Express from 16 to 22 and extending the weekly Mangaluru Junction-Yeshwantpur Express to Mangaluru Central as well. He highlights the significant benefit of daytime train connectivity to Bengaluru for Mangaluru residents, a need currently unmet by the current train schedule. The current schedule sees the Gomateshwara Express departing Mangaluru Junction at 7 a.m. to reach Yeshwantpur at 4:30 p.m.
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