Hubballi/Bengaluru: Heavy downpours triggered an earthslip across the Shiribagilu–Yedakumari, Yedakumari–Kadagaravalli, and Kadagaravalli–Donigal ghat sections on Saturday evening, disrupting services on the busy Mangaluru–Bengaluru line.
The incident occurred around 4:40 pm on August 16, forcing South Western Railway (SWR) to divert multiple trains through alternative routes. Senior officials, including General Manager Mukul Saran Mathur and Additional GM K. S. Jain, closely supervised restoration efforts.
Trains Diverted and Rescheduled
According to SWR’s first bulletin at 8:00 pm, the following trains were diverted:
- 07378 Mangaluru Central–Vijayapura Special Express via Tokur–Karwar–Madgaon–Londa–Hubballi, skipping several ghat and central Karnataka stops.
- 16586 Murdeshwar–SMVT Bengaluru Express and 16512 Kannur–KSR Bengaluru Express via Kasaragod–Shoranur–Palakkad–Salem–Jolarpettai, avoiding the Sakleshpur ghat and Bengaluru city halts.
- 16596 Karwar–KSR Bengaluru Express via Mangaluru Jn–Kasaragod–Shoranur–Palakkad–Salem–Jolarpettai, skipping Hassan-side stations.
A second update at 9:15 pm confirmed further changes:
- 16595 KSR Bengaluru–Karwar Express rerouted via Kunigal–Hassan–Arsikere–Hubballi–Londa–Madgaon–Karwar, bypassing the coastal stretch between Sakleshpur and Karwar.
- 16585 SMVT Bengaluru–Murdeshwar Express was rescheduled, leaving at 10:50 pm instead of 7:45 pm.
- 16511 KSR Bengaluru–Kannur Express was diverted via Jolarpettai–Salem–Palakkad–Shoranur, omitting ghat and Mangaluru halts.
- 07377 Vijayapura–Mangaluru Central Special ran via Hubballi–Londa–Castle Rock–Madgaon–Karwar–Thokur–Padil, skipping interior Karnataka and ghat stations.
Swift Restoration Efforts
A material train had left Sakleshpur at 5:58 pm to support debris clearance. SWR said restoration was completed overnight with the track declared fit for traffic in stages:
- Kadagaravalli–Donigal at 5:10 am, Aug 17
- Yedakumari–Kadagaravalli at 6:30 am, Aug 17
- Shiribagilu–Yedakumari on Aug 16 itself
By Sunday morning, normal train operations had resumed.
“Restoration works were taken up on priority, ensuring safe and efficient travel for passengers,” said Dr. Manjunath Kanamadi, Chief Public Relations Officer, SWR.
