Dandeli is popular for its natural beauty and adventures, including white water rafting. |Picture source: Special arrangement
Dandeli owns a century-old railway station, but no passengers arrive there. There is a bus stop for the Karnataka State Road Transport Company (KSRTC), but few buses arrive from remote destinations such as Bangalore. This is the condition of public transport facilities in Dandeli, one of the popular adventure travel destinations in Karnataka.
Located in Uttara Kannada district, Dandeli is popular for its natural beauty and adventure activities including white water rafting and jungle safari. While tourists from all over India have found a way to get to this destination, connection remains a problem due to over-reliance on private transport options.
“I plan to go to Dandeli a few weeks ago and checked the options to get there. While there is no direct train, KSRTC has two Salige buses and no sleeper option. For a trip of about 11 hours, it will be very uncomfortable and it will be a seated trip in Bengaluru.
Locals there, including the owners and drivers of the resort, say better connectivity can increase the number of visitors.
“Our neighbors connect tourist destinations through public transport. But despite many requirements, our elected representatives are unable to bring passenger trains to Dandeli, despite the regular trains on this route,” said Ahmed, a taxi driver in Dandeli.
Locals also mentioned that there was hope for Dandeli’s passenger train during Suresh Angadi’s tenure as Indian Railways Minister, but after him no one pushed the project forward.
Southwest Railway (SWR) officials said passenger trains did not go to Dandeli for mainly logistical reasons. “Dandelli is around 70 kilometres away from Hubballi. The road is good and the route is picturesque, which is why many people prefer to go there by road. Now trains must go from Hubballi to Alnavar, which is around 60 kilometres away. If the train has to go to Dandeli, the engine has to be reversed at Alnavar, which will take a lot of time,” explained an official.
He added that there was little demand for Dandeli’s train service. Even a train with only eight coaches will have a seat capacity of 400. “If we see a huge demand for seats, we will definitely run the train,” he said.
But, Dandeli’s resort owner said: “How do they decide there is no need to run a train? Only when they introduce services or advertise, people know that it’s an option and start taking it.”
KSRTC will offer sleeper buses soon
There are not many KSRTC buses that arrive in Dandelly. Dandeli from Bangalore, Mysoru and other major cities does not have sleeper services. Locals attribute this to the private bus lobby. In fact, many private buses parked next to the KSRTC bus stop in Dandley.
Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy said the department has noticed the gap. “We decided to deploy more buses there. Of the 50 non-AC sleeper buses we boarded on board, we will take some time to deploy for a few months. We also plan about two months. We also plan to renovate old buses there.”
publishing – April 18, 2025 at 11:47 am
