Karwar: It was a memorable day for the people of Dandeli who finally saw a passenger train arrive in their town.
While elderly people recollected the good old days, youth were seen taking selfies in front of the decorated train at the Ambewadi Railway Station (in Dandeli).
With the route for the passenger train, which was shut, finally opening, the famous Dandeli is now connected via rail and tourists can travel to various tourists destinations in Dandeli and nearby areas.
Train 56923/24 Dharwad-Ambewadi-Dharwad via Alnavar was inaugurated on Sunday by Minister of state for railways Suresh Angadi in the presence of Union Minister Pralhad Joshi and former minister R.V. Deshpande.
The train comprises two general coaches and a coach for the guard, goods and the disabled.
It is scheduled to leave Dharwad at 11.30 am and reach Ambewadi at 1 pm and on its return journey, it will leave Ambewadi at 3 pm and reach Dharwad at 4.40 pm.
The Ambewadi-Alnavar railway route has a long history of 100 years but after the route was changed from meter gauge to broad gauge, it was restricted only to goods trains.
In 1918, the rail route was laid by Madras and Southern Maratha Railways and used for transporting timber and other goods.
Over the years the route also had passenger trains running on it until 1994 when the railway decided to convert it to broad gauge. Service was stopped then.
People have been demanding that the passenger service on this route be started again.
And finally, their demand has been fulfilled.
