Railways plans new Vande Bharat train from Mumbai-Mangaluru
Mumbai: Indian Railways is planning to introduce a new Vande Bharat train service connecting Mumbai and Mangaluru.
According to Mathrabhumi, The plan involves merging the existing Mumbai-Goa and Mangaluru-Goa routes to create a direct service, allowing passengers to travel between Mumbai and Mangaluru in about 12 hours.
Currently, the Mumbai-Goa and Mangaluru-Goa Vande Bharat trains operate separately, with average passenger occupancy of around 70 percent.
However, the Mangaluru-Goa route has struggled with low demand, with occupancy below 40 percent. To improve efficiency and attract more passengers, Railways had initially considered extending the train to Kozhikode, but this idea was dropped due to opposition from political leaders in Karnataka.
The Mumbai-Goa Vande Bharat train initially had a high occupancy rate of around 90 percent, but this has now reduced to about 70 percent. Railways believe that combining the two services into a single Mumbai-Mangaluru route will help increase demand and ensure full occupancy.
There has been strong demand for better train connectivity between Mumbai and Mangaluru, and this new service is expected to benefit passengers by offering a faster and more efficient travel option.
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Arunachal minister pitches for focus on cold-water fisheries at NFDB meet in Hyderabad
Itanagar (PTI): Arunachal Pradesh Fisheries Minister Gabriel Denwang Wangsu on Monday called for a special policy for hill and border states to promote cold-water fisheries, strengthen infrastructure and improve the livelihoods of rural fishermen.
Addressing the 12th governing body meeting of the National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) in Hyderabad, Wangsu supported a proposal to bring Mission Amrit Sarovar under fisheries activities for fish farming, an official communique stated.
He said convergence of fisheries programmes with the mission would help boost inland fish production and generate additional income opportunities for rural communities.
The minister also placed several key proposals before the NFDB governing body, including special relaxations under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) for hill and border states, such as higher unit costs, flexible norms and cluster-based implementation.
He emphasised the need to strengthen seed security through expansion of carp and trout hatcheries, brood banks, local feed production units and development of farming clusters.
Wangsu further stressed conservation and sustainable use of indigenous fish species through hatcheries, river ranching and stock enhancement programmes.
He also highlighted the importance of developing value-chain and post-harvest infrastructure, including mini-feed mills, mobile ice plants, cold storages, insulated transport and value-addition units.
The minister proposed resource mapping and digitisation using geo-spatial technologies and suggested setting up a regional centre of NFDB in Arunachal Pradesh, with full logistical support from the state government.
Earlier, Union Minister for Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Rajiv Ranjan Singh, who chaired the meeting, reviewed the progress of fisheries and aquaculture development across the country.
He directed states and Union Territories to ensure optimal and timely utilisation of sanctioned funds and early completion of ongoing projects, especially under PMMSY.
The meeting was attended by ministers of state for animal husbandry and fisheries, fisheries ministers from several states, senior officials from states and Union Territories, and members of the NFDB governing body.
