Arebetta crossing station to boost train services on Hassan-Mangaluru ghat section
MANGALURU: The South Western Railway (SWR) will soon be able to operate at least two additional pairs of passenger trains on the Hassan-Mangaluru railway line with the commissioning of a new crossing station at Arebetta, located between Shiribagilu and Yadakumari on the Sakleshpur-Subrahmanya Road ghat section.
The upgrade is expected to fulfil the much-anticipated Vande Bharat Express service between Bengaluru and coastal Karnataka, as reported by The Hindu.
Currently, the ghat section handles eight pairs of trains per day, including five passenger services:
• Bengaluru-Kannur
• Bengaluru-Karwar
• Bengaluru-Murdeshwar
• Vijayapura-Mangaluru Central
• Yeshwantpur-Mangaluru Junction/Karwar Express (day trains)
Daytime passenger services will remain suspended until November 1, 2025, to facilitate electrification work on the 55-km stretch.
According to SWR officials, Arebetta does not have sufficient space to accommodate the 750-metre loop lines needed for crossing long freight trains. Instead, a 600-metre loop line will be built which will allow crossings for coaching (passenger) trains.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told the Lok Sabha that the Hassan-Mangalore Rail Development Corporation (HMRDC) will bear the cost of developing the station.
Electrification is already complete on the Subrahmanya Road-Shiribagilu (14 km) and Sakleshpur-Donigal (9 km) sections. Work continues on the remaining 32 km between Shiribagilu and Donigal. Progress depends on factors such as forest clearance, utility relocation, statutory approvals and the area’s challenging geography.
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Power tariffs under BESCOM to rise from May 1
Bengaluru (PTI): Power bills for consumers under the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM) will go up from May 1, following an order issued by the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) on Friday.
The hike comes after KERC allowed the BESCOM to recover a revenue deficit of Rs 2,068 crore incurred in 2024-25, from the consumers.
As a result, for every unit of electricity consumed in 2024-25, the customers will be charged an additional 56 paise, it said.
"BESCOM shall calculate, for each of the active consumers of FY2024-25 the amount to be recovered based on their actual energy consumption during FY2024-25. Such amount shall be recovered during FY 2026-27 in equal monthly instalments, to be called as 'FY25 True up Charges', commencing from the first meter reading date falling on or after 1 May 2026 and concluding with the reading date ending on 30 April 2027," the order said.
"It is further ordered that BESCOM shall maintain a separate head of account, allocated for the purpose, to record the adjustment of the said amount to ensure full recovery of the deficit," it added.
Similarly Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation Limited (CESC) has also recorded a revenue deficit of Rs 121.71 crore and can collect an additional 15 paisa per unit for consumption in 2024-25, official sources said.
