Railways slammed for delay in night train to Karwar

BANGALORE: Pulling up the railways for the delay in providing a night train between Bangalore and Karwar via Mangalore, the Karnataka High Court on Monday gave the railway board three weeks to respond.
"As of now, two possibilities stare at us. Converting the Bangalore-Karwar day train into an overnight train or branch out the existing Bangalore-Mangalore train, one to Kannur in the south and one to Karwar (from Mangalore)," a division bench comprising Chief Justice Vikramajit Sen and Justice BV Nagarathna observed while adjourning the hearing of the PIL.
Counsel for railways insisted that the ghat section in Sakleshpur cannot take the load of two trains in a night. He also said branching out a train will mean a locomotive standing idle at Mangalore railway station and there are enough trains from Mangalore to Karwar.
Not convinced, the bench wanted to know which is more important -- a locomotive or better service for the people. "Karnataka has been ignored in the case of railway connectivity. Other states in the south have better connectivity... For the sake of one engine, you can't deny the service," Justice Nagarathna observed.
Advocates Shankar Bhat and others filed the PIL seeking this night train service.