Though Southern Railway will construct one more platform at Mangaluru Central station at a cost of Rs. 6.66 crore, its Palakkad Divisional Railway Manager Naresh Lalwani says more train services cannot be extended to Central.
He was speaking at the Divisional Railway Users’ Consultative Committee (DRUCC) meeting in Palakkad on Thursday. Mr. Lalwani, responding to demands from a few DRUCC members, said new trains could be considered from Mangaluru Junction instead.
At the same time, work on the construction of five bays of platform shelters for Central has been sanctioned and tenders will soon be floated, the DRM said. Mangaluru Central and Junction stations will also get digital coach indication boards along with other stations in the division, Mr. Lalwani added.
He also said the Railways would facilitate the opening of ATMs of popular banks at station buildings owing to public demand. Mangaluru Junction would get one such facility, he said.
Earlier in the day, Mr. Lalwani said various projects for passenger amenities throughout the division are being undertaken, exhausting the allocated funds for the financial year. More funds are awaited for further progress.
Speaking about safety and punctuality of trains, the DRM said the division is improving its performance on punctuality. Restrictions on speed imposed for track renewal are being gradually withdrawn, with a major portion of the work completed. Maintenance work in the division can be effectively undertaken only during non-monsoon months, he said.
Senior Divisional Commercial Manager K.P. Damodaran, Senior Divisional Operating Manager Y. Selvin and others were present, a release said.
