Dakshina Kannada MP and State BJP President Nalin Kumar Kateel on March 2, urged Southern Railway to immediately take up doubling of about 1 km single line connecting Mangaluru Central Station with the Mangaluru Junction-Shoranur double line to enhance train operations towards Konkan and Bengaluru regions.
In his written submission at the meeting of MPs representing constituencies served by Palakkad Division of Southern Railway at Palakkad, Mr. Kateel said with the imminent commissioning of two additional platforms—No. 4 and 5—at the Central, train movement towards Konkan Railway and Hassan/Bengaluru was bound to increase. There were demands to introduce more trains connecting different parts of Karnataka with Mangaluru, he said in the submission made in-absentia.
His constituents were demanding extension of existing trains—including Yeshwantpur-Mangaluru Junction tri-weekly Gomateshwara Express, Mumbai CSMT-Mangaluru Junction Superfast Express and Vijayapura-Mangaluru Junction Express special—to Mangaluru Central. The Railways has in principle agreed for the demands, he said adding path doubling would enhance smooth movement of these trains and any additional trains.
The recently doubled line branching out at Netravathi Cabin from Shoranur-Mangaluru Junction line towards the Central serves Kerala-bound trains, a single line branching out near Jeppu Majila to the Central serves the North and East-bound trains, forming a triangle.
Mr. Kateel urged the Railways to speed up new platform work as it was in slow pace. Roofing and toilet facilities for the new platforms were essential, he said.
The Century-old Mangaluru Central Station building needs immediate remake, Mr. Kateel said and asked the Railways to take immediate steps to develop both Central and Junction Stations to world-class standards.
There was an immediate need to construct a four-lane road over bridge on Mangaladevi Road in Pandeshwara over the Goods Shed line, Mr. Kateel said seeking foot over bridges at Meenakaliya and Baikampady. The Mangaluru Central-Miraj Mahalakshmi Express and Mangaluru Central-Matha Vaishnodevi Katra Navyug Express should be reintroduced, he demanded. Two sets of train services between Mangaluru Central and Kabaka Puttur too need to be extended till Subrahmanya Road, he said.
Southern Railway General Manager R.N. Singh presided the meeting attended among others by Palakkad Divisional Railway Manager Trilok Kothari. MPs from Kozhikode-M.K. Raghavan, Kasaggod-Rajmohan Unnithan, Kannur-K. Sudhakaran, Vadakara-K. Muraleedharan, Malappuram-M.P. Abdussammad Samadani, Ponnani-E.T. Mohammed Basheer, Palakkad-V.K. Sreekandan, Pollachi-K. Shanmugha Sundaram and Rajya Sabha—V. Sivadasan, P. Sandosh Kumar and P.T. Usha, attended the meeting.
