Just go through Yatra.com or Makemytrip.com etc., to understand the traffic between Bangalore and Mangalore. Daily 150 buses (KSRTC and private) are plying in one direction. with avg of 45 pax per bus, app. 7000 people are travelling between these 2 towns. In peak season, the number of buses and fare just doubles. If one train can be run, it will coolly take 2000 pax.
If SWR runs one overnight train with proper timings to cover the distance in 9-10 hours, people will use such a train. Now, what is the situation? Just one night train running with 2 train numbers just to fool the public/ rly authorities and one day time train on alternate days with avg speed less...
more... than 40 kms. That's all.
What people want is a night train, but SWR is running a snail speed super crawler day time train. Who has to be blamed for this? Definitely rlys only. To say that occupancy is just 23% is a joke. When thousands are waiting to travel, you run a train at useless timings and say that occupancy is less and so introduction of another train is very doubtful is atrocious.
SWR are blaming on anything and everything on earth for the problem, other than themselves. SWR created HMRDA agreement which prevents running of passenger trains. keeping an eye on freight revenue, they have cheated people and now blaming low occupancy! Where are the trains for public to use?