Bengaluru: Diesel locomotives on Bengaluru-Mangaluru rail section could soon become history.Almost a year after the 55-km ghat section between Sakleshpura and Subrahmanya Road was electrified, South Western Railway (SWR) can shortly start running trains powered by electric locomotives.The stretch with several steep gradients, tunnels and bridges is a crucial part of the rail link between Bengaluru and Mangaluru.SWR has proposed a switch to alternating current (AC) traction for seven trains using the stretch: SMVT Bengaluru-Murdeshwar Express, Kozhikode Express, Yesvantpur-Karwar Express, Yesvantpur-Mangaluru Junction Weekly Express, Gomteshwara Express, Vijayapura-Mangaluru Central Express; and KSR Bengaluru-Karwar Panchaganga Express.Among these, four trains are now fuelled by diesel, while the rest are pulled by electric locomotives and partially by diesel locomotives. The Kozhikode Express; SMVT Bengaluru-Murdeshwar Express and Vijayapura-Mangaluru Central Express currently use diesel locos partially only to pass the ghats.An SWR Mysuru division official said, “We are currently working on a traction sub-station (TSS) at Sakaleshpura. Once that is completed, we expect to conduct the electric trials for the section. The Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO) trials for Vande Bharat were completed last month and were successful.”As railway rules mandate automatic emergency brakes (AEB) along the ghats, only electric locomotives fitted with the feature will be used. Despite the upgrade in traction, speed restrictions will continue. All trains, including the proposed Madgaon-Yeshwantpur Vande Bharat, will be capped at a maximum speed of 30kmph.Karnataka is among five states/UTs yet to achieve 100% rail electrification; currently, 97% of the state’s network is electrified.
