Contrary to indications given so far, Mangalore Junction Railway Station will be developed as world class station as it has land to undertake such activity, according to Dakshina Kannada MP Nalin Kumar Kateel.
He said on the sidelines of a meeting on Tuesday the 60 acres of land available with the Railways at the station would be utilised to develop world class facilities. In the first phase of the programme, work will start on the 25-acre open land.
Mr. Kateel said a meeting on this topic was held with the Railway officials on Monday. Mayor Mahabhala Marla, Ministers B. Ramanath Rai and U.T. Khader, MLA J.R. Lobo and MLC Ivan D’Souza participated in the meeting. Officials for Railway Board and Southern Railway participated in the meeting.
Mr. Kateel said Mangalore Junction would be one among the five railway stations in the State to be developed as world class station. There will be internet kiosks, better passenger amenities, shopping complex and six additional railway lines. “This will certainly bring a drastic change in the area near the Station. It will be better connected to the city,” he said.
The world class railway station was proposed to come up on the public-private partnership mode at a cost of Rs. 300 crore. The work of surveying the extent of railway land at the Mangalore Junction railway station would start shortly, he said.
Southern Railway officials said on Tuesday that lack of space was the main constraint in developing Mangalore Central as World Class Station. However, a final decision was yet to be taken. The project was being taken up under public-private partnership. A Rs. 250-crore detailed project has been prepared for the world class station project by KITCO (Kerala Industrial and Technical Consultancy Organisation) which was appointed as consultants for the development of world class stations in Kerala and Mangalore Central. The Railways have hitherto maintained that the proposal was before the Railway Board.
Mangalore: According to the Indian Railways’ Manual for Standards and Specifications for Railway Stations Volume 1, a world class station should have the following: Superior services to passengers such as slip resistant surfaces; efficient movement of commuters; superior train operations and maintenance facilities; smoother and safer road traffic flow to and from the station; adequate parking within the station premises; sustainable design principles including rainwater harvesting; Maximum use of natural light and ventilation, minimum energy consumption; and open, spacious aesthetic appeal suiting city’s architectural heritage.
