Patrons in Dakshina Kannada district strongly oppose the Railway Ministry’s plan to extend Train No. 16511/12 KSR Bengaluru-Kannur overnight express down to Kozhikode in Kerala. The train was originally made to connect Bengaluru to Mangaluru after Hassan-Mangaluru gauge conversion. It was later extended to Kannur, which already upset many coastal Karnataka travelers. The online forum Dakshina Kannada District Rail warned that a further extension to Kozhikode will overcrowd the train even more. The forum said, "Any long-distance connectivity requirements beyond Kannur should be addressed through separate and independent services, not by overburdening an already saturated train." It also suggested a new train via Salem if direct rail link between Bengaluru and Kozhikode is truly needed. The recent Ministry publication “Trains at a Glance 2026” showed the Kannur express as extended to Kozhikode, even though that extension isn’t yet in place on the ground. This causes concern since no clarity exists on additional coaches, rakes, or capacity improvements, especially on the bottleneck Sakleshpur-Subrahmanya Road section. The forum highlighted that the Kannur Express is a vital overnight service for Dakshina Kannada and Kasaragod districts, serving many devotees en route to Kukke Subrahmanya and Dharmasthala pilgrimage sites. Adding Kozhikode will reduce seat availability and worsen an already high demand-supply gap. Mangaluru, as Karnataka’s second IT hub and a major port city with education and healthcare centers, needs better rail links to Bengaluru, said the forum. Despite extension to Kannur, trains 16511/12 run fully booked year-round, proving the strong local demand up to Mangaluru Central. The Railway Ministry’s plan faces strong local pushback demanding separate trains for longer routes rather than straining the existing Bengaluru-Kannur overnight express.