Heavy rain triggered a landslip of about 15 m height and 50 m long on the bypass railway line connecting the Mumbai line (Konkan Railway) and Hassan line (South Western Railway) near Padil in Mangaluru on Sunday afternoon.
Fortunately, movement of trains is not affected as the line is a bypass track. Last year’s landslip near this location close to Kulashekara tunnel had completely disrupted train services between the North and the South (Mumbai-Mangaluru-Kerala) for over 20 days.
Occurring close to the spot that saw landslip last year near Kulashekara Tunnel, the debris of the landslip have completely covered the bypass line thereby preventing movement of trains. Sources in the Railways said that restoration of tracks by removing the debris might take at least a week.
Now, only one passenger train service — Bengaluru-Karwar-Bengaluru Express Special — is running via the Padil bypass line.
Consequent to the landslip, trains — goods as well as passenger — on this section have to make a small detour reaching Mangaluru Junction and get their locomotive reversed, before moving towards Hassan or Karwar, as the case may be. Locomotive reversal entails at least 30 minutes.
The Bengaluru-Karwar-Bengaluru Express Special (06585/06586) too will run on this diverted route till the track is restored, the sources said.
There is, however, no obstruction to trains operating between Konkan Railway and Southern Railway networks, they added.
