Mangaluru, 5 September 2026: Dakshina Kannada District Railway Users has urged the Railway authorities to review the present routing of Train Nos. 16565/16566 Yesvantpur–Mangaluru Central Weekly Express, questioning why a train connecting two major Karnataka cities travels through Tamil Nadu and Kerala before reaching Mangaluru.
According to the railway users' group, the train covers about 834 km between Yesvantpur and Mangaluru, while the direct railway corridor through Kunigal–Hassan–Sakleshpur–Subrahmanya Road–Mangaluru is substantially shorter.
Group has pointed out that Train Nos. 16575/16576 Gomteshwara Express already demonstrate the viability of the Hassan–Sakleshpur route. Current timetable information lists the Yesvantpur–Mangaluru Junction journey at about 413 km and 9 hours 40 minutes, with scheduled stops including Hassan, Sakleshpur, Subrahmanya Road, Kabakaputtur and Bantawala.
In contrast, Train No. 16565/16566 follows a much longer route via Kuppam, Salem, Erode, Tiruppur, Coimbatore, Palakkad, Shoranur and several Malabar destinations before reaching Mangaluru. Available railway information puts the service at roughly 834 km.
Railway users stressed that their demand is not against Kerala connectivity. The existing service provides important Bengaluru–Malabar connectivity, including access to destinations in northern Kerala.
Instead, they have questioned whether a service primarily serving the Bengaluru–Malabar passenger market needs to continue all the way to Mangaluru Central, particularly when Mangaluru has limited terminal capacity.
Group has suggested that the Railways examine rerouting Train 16565/66 through Hassan and Sakleshpur if operationally feasible. Other possibilities mentioned include a Yesvantpur–Arsikere–Mangaluru service or a longer Yesvantpur–Hubballi–Madgaon–Mangaluru route.
If the present Palakkad–Malabar routing is considered essential, the group has also suggested examining whether the train could terminate at Kannur, Kozhikode or Kasaragod, while the resources associated with its Mangaluru extension could potentially be used for a dedicated Bengaluru–Coastal Karnataka service.
Issue assumes added significance with the Railway Board's decision to transfer the Mangaluru area from Palakkad Division of Southern Railway to Mysuru Division of South Western Railway from October 1, 2026. The transfer includes the Mangaluru area up to Ullal, while Thokur will remain under Konkan Railway.
Railway users have therefore called for a comprehensive review based on distance, journey time, passenger demand, terminal capacity, rake utilisation and operational feasibility.
Their central question is straightforward: if a direct Karnataka railway corridor already connects Bengaluru and Mangaluru, can scarce railway resources be used more efficiently to provide faster and more meaningful connectivity between Bengaluru and Coastal Karnataka? Group has appealed to the Railway Board, Southwestern Railway and Southern Railway to examine the issue.
Source - Dakshina Kannada District Railway Users @dkdistrictrail
Keywords
Yesvantpur Mangaluru Weekly Express, Train 16565, Train 16566, Bengaluru Mangaluru railway,Mangaluru railway connectivity, Hassan Sakleshpur railway route, Coastal Karnataka railway, Citizen News Puttur