The Railway Board has approved the restoration of Madgaon-Mangaluru Central-Madgaon Diesel Multiple Unit (DEMU) passenger train as a Mainline Electrical Multiple Unit Express Train.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The Railway Board has approved the restoration of Madgaon-Mangaluru Central-Madgaon Diesel Multiple Unit (DEMU) Passenger train as a Mainline Electrical Multiple Unit Express Train with effect from Thursday, January 5.
The DEMU service was cancelled during the COVID-19 pandemic and was not restored post-pandemic while most of the cancelled passenger trains were reintroduced. As the Konkan Railway Corporation network was undergoing electrification, the Railways delayed the restoration so as to put a MEMU rake in the place of a DEMU.
A release from KRCL here said Train No. 10107 Madgaon-Mangaluru Central MEMU Express (6 days a week except Sundays) would leave Madgaon at 5.15 am to reach Mangaluru Central at 12.15 pm the same day. In the return direction, Train No. 10108 Mangaluru Central-Madgaon MEMU Express (6 days a week except Sundays) would leave Central at 2.45 pm to reach Madgaon at 10 pm the same day.
Commercial halts for the train are provided at Canacona, Asnoti, Karwar, Ankola, Gokarna Road, Kumta, Honnavar, Manki, Murdeshwar, Bhatkal, Mookambika Road Byndoor, Senapura, Kundapura, Barkur, Udupi, Mulki, Surathkal and Managluru Junction stations.
The first of the 8-car MEMU train set, including two driver-motor cars was received by the KRCL in the first week of August from the Integral Coach Factory, Chennai. KRCL had reportedly cited training for drivers (loco pilots) and phased manner of conversion of conventional diesel traction trains to run on electrical traction as the reasons for the delay in restoration of the DEMU service.
Each driver-motor car can seat 55 passengers and accommodate 171 standing passengers. Each trailer car can seat 84 passengers and accommodate 271 standing passengers. Thus, a two driver-motor car and six trailer car MEMU train set can carry as many as 2,582 passengers.
