Mangaluru – The South Western Railway (SWR) is set to introduce at least two more pairs of passenger trains on the Hassan–Mangaluru route, following the commissioning of a new crossing station at Arebetta, located between Shiribagilu and Yadakumari in the Sakleshpur–Subrahmanya Road ghat section.
The upgrade is also seen as a step toward fulfilling the long-awaited Vande Bharat Express service between Bengaluru and coastal Karnataka, The Hindu reported.
At present, the ghat section accommodates eight pairs of trains daily, including five passenger services—Bengaluru–Kannur, Bengaluru–Karwar, Bengaluru–Murdeshwar, Vijayapura–Mangaluru Central, and the Yeshwantpur–Mangaluru Junction/Karwar Express. Daytime passenger services will remain suspended until November 1, 2025, to allow electrification along the 55-km stretch.
SWR officials explained that Arebetta lacks the space for the 750-metre loop lines required for long freight train crossings. Instead, a 600-metre loop will be constructed to handle passenger train crossings. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed the Lok Sabha that the Hassan–Mangalore Rail Development Corporation (HMRDC) will fund the station’s development.
Electrification has already been completed on the Subrahmanya Road–Shiribagilu (14 km) and Sakleshpur–Donigal (9 km) sections, with work underway on the remaining 32 km between Shiribagilu and Donigal. Progress, however, depends on forest clearances, utility shifts, statutory approvals, and the challenges posed by the ghat terrain.