Bangalore to Mangalore?
How do you get to Mangalore (yes, Mangalooru) these days? Trains stopped running 10 years ago. And the road plain and simple sucks in the ghats post Hassan.
They have been working on railway gauge conversion for a decade now. May be it really was a decade worth of work (was it!?). But they were supposed to start two trains to Mangalore earlier this year itself! Last they talked about it, it was supposed to be Dec 2006.
What is it then? Volvo operators don’t want the tracks to be operational because they’d lose 2000 x 2 seats a day? Assuming these allegations of them lobbying against the railways is true, I can’t understand why these same bus operators can’t lobby hard enough to get the ghat section repaired. The road is so bad at places that they take a longer detour to reach Mangalore!
For the bad roads part of the problem, I have heard a few folks point fingers at the airlines as well! Apparently, they are very happy with loads on their services to Mangalore, so they don’t want the roads to be fast and smooth.
Whatever. Somethings, I just don’t understand. While allegations fly and we guess who is lobbying for what, I start wondering if anyone lobbies for “us” as well. So much talk about Hubli, Dharwad and tier-II cities, while we have a nice city by the sea under-doing itself due to weaker links with the capital.
I travelled to Mangalore recently and was appalled to see the state of the roads in the ghat section.
One look at the road and your back starts aching …not just your heart.
Why this apathy towards these roads? Tons of petroleum trucks ply up and down these roads from Mangalooru refineries and tons of buses travel the same route not to mention the famous lorries…
In one drive, I saw atleast 3 lorries/trucks upturned…thanks to the tank-size (! Pot) holes
It really is a sad story!!!
Okay, so the date has moved yet again. The trains will start in Mar 2007, thats the latest word as per some newsp reports today.
Wait and watch!
hey, seems they heard you, the Mangalore – Bangalore Rail link will open for passanger trafic in Jan 2007 for inspection….
You talked about the most pertinent issue in recent times on the Blr-Mlr sector.
It is true about the lobbying.. I know for a fact since I have family in Sakleshpur ( right before the ghat section begins )..
Also, not just bus operators.. Indian Oil planned and built a oil pipeline a few years ago.. But during the planning stages, the tanker truck owners’ lobby put up tremendous resistance.. They tried instigating the planters who estates through which the pipeline was supposed to pass through.
However, they did not succeed because:
1. Planters were relatively better educated and were witness to the reckless driving and problems the tankers posed.
2. The pipeline proved to be financial windfall. They still could cultivate the land but had to cede right of way & ownership to the oil company. And also got better access roads to their estates, and a big one time settlement amount.
So do not discount the allegations.. One story I have heard is how the mysterious landslides happen in the ghat section..
Now we are talking Adarsh. On the face of it, these things seem obvious. But just that we can only talk about them, can’t really prove a thing. Sad.
You can go to Mangalore via Coorg.its a scenic journey and the roads are good.