Vijayapura – Mangaluru Central – Vijayapura (Train 17377/78) Express, one among the seven coaching (passenger) trains operating on the Hassan-Mangaluru sector, will be hauled by electric locomotive from end-to-end soon.
| Photo Credit: ANIL KUMAR SASTRY
The South Western Railway (SWR) will go live with electric (AC) traction from end-to-end on the Bengaluru/ Mysuru-Hassan-Mangaluru sector where the final leg of Railway Electrification (RE) was completed in December 2025, very soon.
At present, all the seven pairs of coaching (passenger) trains operating on the sector run on diesel traction, some end-to-end and some partially.
“We will go live with AC traction with one train to start with and later extend it to the remaining trains. The overhead electric equipment (OHE) in the sector, including the Sakleshpur-Subrahmanya Road Ghat section, was found to be stable,” said SWR’s Mysuru Divisional Railway Manager Mudit Mittal.
However, neither the first train nor the exact date of going live with AC traction was finalised, Mr. Mittal added.
On the Sakleshpur-Subrahmanya Road Ghat section too, the automatic emergency brake (AEB) fitted diesel locos would be replaced by AEB-fitted electric locos (Elco). On the down direction, a multiple unit Elco (WAG9 MU) would lead the rake with the in-charge loco being idle. On the up direction, the in-charge Elco would lead with the WAG9 MU being at the rear as a banker loco.
Dates with Hassan-Mangaluru Railway electrification
RITES bags Railway Electrification contract of Mysuru-Hassan-Mangaluru in August 2021.
Railways operates electric loco hauled Mangaluru-Subrahmanya Road-Mangaluru Passenger service from September 26, 2025.
South Western Railway announces completion of RE on Sakleshpur-Subrahmanya Roa Ghat section on December 28, 2025.
Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO) conducts trial runs of ICF and LHB coaching rakes hauled by electric locos on Ghat section in June 2026 on the Ghat section.
RDSO further conducts trial runs of 20-car Vande Bharat rake fitted with automatic emergency braking system in August 2026 on the Ghat section.
SWR conducts runtime trial run of VB Express between Yeshwantpur-Mangaluru Central on September 5 and between Yeshwantpur-Mangaluru Junction on September 10.
On AC traction
At present, three pairs of coaching trains run partially on AC traction and partially on diesel traction. Sir M. Visvesvaraya Terminal Bengaluru – Murdeshwar – SMVTB Express (16585/586) runs on AC traction between Bengaluru and Mysuru and on diesel traction between Mysuru and Murdeshwar. KSR Bengaluru – Kozhikode – KSR Bengaluru Express (16511/512) runs on diesel traction between Bengaluru and Mangaluru Central and on AC traction between Mangaluru Central and Kozhikode while Vijayapura – Mangaluru Central -Vijayapura Express (17377/ 378) runs on AC traction between Vijayapura and Hubballi and on diesel traction between Hubballi and Mangaluru Central.
KSR Bengaluru – Karwar – KSR Bengaluru Panchaganga Express (16595/596) and the two tri-weekly and one weekly day trains between Yeshwantpur – Mangaluru Junction / Karwar – Yeshwantpur run completely on diesel traction.
“We will test the end-to-end AC traction operation with one train for about two weeks and extend the same to other trains gradually,” Mr. Mittal added.
The Mangaluru Central – Subrahmanya Road – Mangaluru Central Passenger (three round trips a day) was already operating on AC traction since September last.
Published – October 10, 2026 01:52 pm IST
