Captain Chowta opposes the proposal to revise the Gomateshwara Express timings

Train No. 16576 Mangaluru Junction – Yeshwantpur thrice weekly Gomateshwara Express (pictured at Bantwal) currently departs Junction at 7:00 AM on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at Mangaluru. | Photo credit: Anil Kumar Sastry

Dakshina Kannada Member of Parliament Captain Brijesh Chowta has taken strong exception to the Railway Ministry’s proposal to revise the departure timings of the tri-weekly and weekly Mangaluru Junction-Yeshwantpur express services from Mangaluru.

In a letter to Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw dated Saturday, October 31, Captain Chowta said he understood that the ministry was proposing to move the departure time from the current 7:00 AM to 11:40 AM for Train No. 16576, Mangaluru Junction-Yeshwantpur, the tri-weekly Mangalu Train and Gomateshwara. Junction-Yeshwantpur weekly Express, as a result of which their arrival time at Yeshwantpur would be shifted from 4:30 PM to 10:15 PM. Such a substantial change would affect the convenience and accessibility of this important daily connection.

He said that the existing daily train service between Bengaluru and Mangaluru is an important and widely used rail link for people traveling between the two regions. Its current schedule was particularly suitable for daily and frequent travelers, including students, working professionals, business travelers, patients and families.

The MP said that the current timetable allows passengers to make the journey during the day and reach Bengaluru at a reasonable hour. Shifting departure to late morning and arrival to late evening would cause considerable inconvenience especially to passengers who depend on this service for work, education, medical examination and further travel.

“Given the importance of the Bengaluru-Mangaluru rail corridor and the heavy reliance of passengers on this service, I request the Ministry of Railways and South Western Railway to kindly reconsider the proposed changes and maintain the existing timings of the Yesvantpur-Mangaluru Express and its return services,” he said.

“Any changes to the timetables of established passenger services should be made after due consideration of passenger requirements and consultation with relevant stakeholders,” the MP told the ministry.

Published – 01 Nov 2026 16:27 IST