Rail users forum launches petition demanding restart of Mangaluru Central- Katra Navyug Express
Mangaluru: The Dakshina Kannada District Railway Users Forum has launched a petition campaign demanding the restoration of the Mangaluru Central–Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra Navyug Express (Train No. 16687/88), the only direct train linking Mangaluru to Jammu & Kashmir. The train service, which was suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic, has not been reinstated, leaving lakhs of passengers from Coastal Karnataka and other parts of South India without direct rail access to North India.
The Forum has urged the Indian Railways to restart the service with a new route via Hassan, Hubballi, Belagavi, Miraj, and Pune. They argue this will significantly benefit students, pilgrims, defence personnel, traders, and the general public.
Earlier, Navyug Express functioned as a slip coach service, with 12 coaches originating from Mangaluru that joined another rake from Tirunelveli to form the complete train. However, post-COVID, only the Tirunelveli-Katra section was retained, and the Mangaluru-originating portion was discontinued. The Railways claimed the Mangaluru leg was merely a “slip” and dropped it altogether—an explanation that the Forum has condemned as unfair.
Anil Hegde, president of the Railway Users Forum, said, “The Navyug Express previously ran through Kerala, which increased travel time. Diverting it via Hassan and Arsikere will be more efficient. Moreover, with the cancellation of the Mangaluru–Miraj Mahalakshmi Express, there is a connectivity gap that the Navyug Express can fill.”
He added that this revised route would also provide long-awaited direct connectivity for pilgrims visiting religious sites like Subrahmanya and Dharmasthala. “Many devotees travel from North India to these sites, but there is currently no direct train service. This train will also serve the large North Indian workforce residing in Puttur, Subrahmanya, and Bantwal,” Hegde explained.
Additionally, the proposal seeks to offer an alternative link to Pune and Delhi from Mangaluru, thereby improving regional rail accessibility. Hegde pointed out that while trains like the Ernakulam–Pune Poorna Express and Ernakulam–Pune Express take different routes, the Navyug Express, if restored via the proposed alignment, would benefit passengers in Hassan, Arsikere, and Puttur en route to Pune.
Separate railway division
The Forum president further emphasized the need to upgrade Mangaluru into an independent railway division. “Mangaluru has the infrastructure and passenger traffic to justify division status. If implemented, it would resolve several long-pending local issues, including language barriers with Malayalam-speaking staff at local stations,” Hegde said.
While acknowledging recent improvements at Mangaluru railway stations, he called for more services connecting Mangaluru to other regions of Karnataka and the rest of India.
Hegde also stated that there have been a lot of developments in Mangaluru stations, however he demanded that more services should start between Mangaluru and the rest parts of Karnataka. He proposed that new trains be introduced on the Mangaluru–Ahmedabad, Mangaluru–Delhi, and Mangaluru–Bandra Terminus routes.
The Forum has appealed to the public to support their petition, which can be signed online at: https://chng.it/ZHyVGkdqFs.
A vital link between Coastal Karnataka and North India Tr No. 16687/88 Mangaluru Central–Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra Navyug Express was unfairly cancelled.
— Dakshina Kannada District Railway Users (@dkdistrictrail) June 8, 2025
This prestigious long-distance train connected our region to Jammu & Kashmir. We now demand its immediate revival via… pic.twitter.com/wsxBhcWpuy
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Delhi CM Rekha Gupta accuses Mamata Banerjee of stalling SIR; TMC hits back
Kolkata (PTI): Alleging that her West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee had approached the Supreme Court to stall the SIR exercise to prevent the identification of infiltrators, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Sunday claimed that the people of the state have made up their minds to dislodge the Trinamool Congress from power.
The TMC countered strongly, urging Gupta to "look into her own backyard" and accused her of making absurd allegations against the TMC government without checking facts.
Addressing participants at the 'Nari Sankalp Yatra' organised by the BJP's women's wing at Science City auditorium here, Gupta alleged that the "hands-off" and appeasement policies of the TMC government had allowed thousands of infiltrators to enter the state in recent years.
She claimed that this had put a strain on basic rights such as access to water, electricity, ration, education, livelihood and the right to vote for genuine citizens.
"She wants to perpetuate this and hence is trying to stall the SIR exercise, which aims at identifying and deporting infiltrators. Imagine a chief minister going to the apex court to argue against an exercise meant to ensure free and fair polls," Gupta said.
The BJP leader alleged that appeasement politics had reached an "alarming level" under the TMC regime.
Raising concerns over women's safety, she claimed that women in the state were not secure despite having a woman chief minister.
Referring to the rape-murder of a woman doctor at RG Kar Hospital, Gupta alleged that the state government had failed to respond adequately to such crimes.
She also referred to the alleged rape of a woman medic in Durgapur and another law student on a Kolkata college campus, claiming that criminals had been emboldened to commit brutalities against women.
She alleged that in crimes against women, overall crime incidents and child marriages, West Bengal remained among the top -- "a slur on a state which once led intellectual and social movements and set examples for the rest of the country," she said.
Criticising the state government's welfare initiatives, she said schemes such as Kanyashree were built on "false claims" and asserted that women needed security rather than assurances.
Accusing the state government of blocking central schemes, Gupta alleged that funds worth "lakhs of crores of rupees" had not reached the poor due to non-implementation of programmes such as Ayushman Bharat, PM Awas Yojana and Jal Jeevan Mission by the state.
"You are only interested in renaming projects and taking credit," she said.
Gupta also alleged that the education sector in the state had been adversely affected, saying several state-run schools had closed due to a shortage of teachers and that the government was opposed to the National Education Policy.
Drawing a comparison with BJP-ruled Delhi, Gupta said, "People have already voted out 'Bhaia' (a reference to former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal). Now it is your turn to bid farewell to 'Didi'." Calling upon women to resist what she termed "strong-arm tactics", she urged them to assert their strength, invoking the imagery of Goddess Durga.
"Bengal has the right to live with dignity, and women have the right to live with dignity," she added.
Reacting to Gupta's allegations, West Bengal Women and Child Welfare minister Shashi Panja accused her of making "absurd allegations" against the Trinamool Congress government ahead of elections.
Panja alleged that during Gupta's tenure in Delhi, several incidents had raised serious concerns, including reports of missing young women and a blast near the Red Fort.
She also criticised the air pollution situation in the national capital, claiming that people were struggling to breathe.
The TMC leader said that despite being in power for a year, Gupta was making "tall claims" instead of addressing key issues in Delhi.
Panja further alleged that the Delhi CM visited West Bengal during elections to "peddle false allegations" against the state government.
Rebutting Gupta, the TMC said in a post on X said, "Madam why did you go off-script again? For your edification, here are the cold, hard facts: In total cases of crimes (IPC + SLL), Bengal ranks a respectable 15th, far safer than BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat, which languish near the bottom."
"In overall crime rate, Bengal sits comfortably at 28th. Who's second? Your own Delhi. Double Engine Gujarat and Haryana grab 4th and 5th as top-tier crime havens," the TMC said.
"In child marriage, Assam again takes the shameful pole position. And yet you dare lecture Bengal? Stop embarrassing yourself, stop the hypocrisy, and maybe fix the rotting mess in your own backyard before pointing fingers at a state that's outperforming your disasters on every key metric," the TMC countered.
