Tejas to run on Mangaluru - Kozhikode - Coimbatore sector

03/03/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,KOZHIKODE

A proposal of the Southern Railway to operate the semi high-speed Tejas Express on the Mangaluru - Kozhikode- Coimbatore route is expected to give a fillip to the transportation network in north Kerala.

If introduced, it will be the first Tejas Express, to run in the State. The proposal is to operate the train six days a week, except Mondays. With one commercial stop at Kozhikode, the service will benefit day time passengers in the sector.

Railway sources said that the proposal of this inter-city train service was in its infancy though the mechanical department of the Salem Division and the Palakkad Division had worked out the feasibility of the service.

A final decision on operating the Tejas would be taken only after getting the approval of the Railway Board. One of the reasons for not hastily going ahead with the proposal is that Mangaluru Central Station has to facilitate the primary maintenance for the new train.

Already the existing pit line at the Mangaluru station is experiencing a saturation level. But steps are being taken to set up a new pit line at the station. Another is the issue of the inadequate number of platforms at the Central station.

The non-availability of platforms are forcing the authorities to terminate intra-Karnataka trains at other stations than Mangaluru Central. Besides, a lobby in Mangaluru is against using the Central station for north Kerala commuters.

Tentatively the Tejas Express will depart from Mangaluru at 6 a.m. and arrive at Coimbatore at 12. 10 p.m. It will have halt at Kozhikode at 8. 20 a.m. On its return leg, the train will leave Coimbatore at 2.30 p.m. and reach Mangaluru at 8.40 p.m. It will touch Kozhikode at 4.50 p.m. The train has been proposed primarily for the benefit of the rail commuters of Kozhikode, sources said.

As of now, the fastest train in the Kozhikode- Coimbatore sector is the Mangaluru- Central Coimbatore Intercity Superfast Express covering a distance of 186 km in three hours 55 minutes. However, the fastest train in the Mangaluru - Kozhikode sector is the Hzarat Nizamuddin - Thiruvananthapuram Central Super Fast Express covering 222 km in two hours 57 minutes.

However, the railway authorities have not decided on the fares. The coaches of the Tejas Express will be fully air-conditioned with features such as airplane-like LED lights, fibre reinforced plastic interior panels, GPS-based passenger information system, smart windows, sliding coach doors, modular toilets, CCTV cameras, and sealed vestibules.