Belying people’s hopes that the Pandeshwar level crossing gate becomes inoperative once the Bunder goods shed gets shifted to Ullal, the LC gate continues to get frequently closed thereby affecting traffic on the busy Hampanakatte-Mangaladevi Road as the Southern Railway’s Palakkad Division continues to use the shed for stabling passenger trains in Mangaluru. | Photo Credit: ANIL KUMAR SASTRY
Southern Railway’s Palakkad Division is not inclined towards providing relief to hundreds of road users who are forced to wait endlessly at the Pandeshwar Level Crossing during train movements to and from the Bunder Goods Shed.
People had thought the LC would become redundant once the Palakkad Division shifted the goods shed operations out of Bunder to Ullal. Though the Railways has shifted a majority of freight operations to Ullal, the Goods Shed lines are now used for stabling passenger trains entailing frequent train movement on the section.
Social activist Nemu Kottari from Jeppu told The Hindu that people are sometimes forced to wait up to 30 minutes at the Pandeshwar LC because the Railways is using the Goods Shed for stabling passenger trains. Agencies concerned, including the district administration and the Railways, should alleviate people’s grievances, he demanded.
Petition to DC
Umanath Kotekar, secretary of Amba Maheshwari Seva Trust, Mulihithlu, told The Hindu that the Trust had petitioned the Deputy Commissioner a couple of months ago to inform people the future use of the goods shed at Bunder. There wwere possibilities of the goods shed continuing to be used for stabling passenger trains, which will severely affect vehicular movement to southern parts of Mangaluru, it had said. The DC however did not respond to Trust’s petition, he said.
Thoroughfare
Mangaladevi Road is a major thoroughfare connecting the central business district with southern Mangaluru, including National Highway 66 via the ongoing Mahakalipadpu Railway Under Bridge (RuB) and Jeppinamogaru. Thousands of Kerala-bound vehicles from the city too use this stretch. Frequent closure of the Pandeshwar LC gate results in cascading traffic pile-up on both the sides as the gate allows only a two-lane traffic while the connecting roads are four-lane.
Not feasible
Palakkad Divisional Railway Manager Arun Kumar Chaturvedi told The Hindu that the less train traffic through the LC gate makes it not qualified to have an RoB or RuB.
The construction of a Railway Under Bridge is also not feasible as the concrete boxes will come below the sea-level thereby flooding the RuB. Though passenger trains are being stabled at the goods shed, train movement through the LC has reduced, he maintained.
A flyover or an RoB too is not feasible as the same requires considerable acquisition of adjacent lands, Mr. Chaturvedi said.
Nevertheless, the Railways will try to find a solution to the problem, he said.
Published - May 15, 2024 06:58 pm IST
