People expecting more trains from Mangaluru and ease of travel to and from Mangaluru Central Railway Station may have to wait for at least two years as works on building two additional platforms and doubling the 1.5-km line between the station and Netravathi Cabin are just on the threshold.
While tenders for line doubling (estimated to cost around ₹ 21 crore) have already been awarded, the Construction Wing of the Southern Railway (SR) is awaiting headquarters approval for construction of the two new platforms. Work on line doubling would commence after the monsoon, a senior Railway official said.
In response to a RTI query by a Bengaluru-based techie Gautam Shetty, Southern Railway replied that construction of additional platforms required demolition of the existing pit-line (maintenance line) on Rail Road 7 and shifting the same to Rail Road 9. As against the sanctioned amount of ₹ 6.6 crore (for one platform), only ₹ 40 lakh has been provided this fiscal, it said and added that two years were needed to complete the work after approval. The official to- ld The Hindu that the initial Railway Board sanction was for one platform in addition to the existing four. As Palakkad Division wanted one more platform, the work required shifting of the pit-line and the mechanical department wanted its relocation first before taking up new works so as not to affect maintenance of trains.
Hence, a revised proposal is sent to Zonal HQ, which is expected to give approval soon, after which fresh estimates would be prepared before calling for tenders. Yet, all these would not take much time and the new platform works would be completed in two years, the official said.
The official said that works on line doubling and additional platforms have to be done in a synchronised manner while doubling also requires remodelling of the Railway Yard at the station. Once both the works are completed, the Railways would be able to receive and despatch trains from all the six platforms, the official said. Line doubling also requires dismantling of one span each of two road overbridges at Jeppu and their reconstruction after laying new rails.
