Work on two additional platforms, Platform No. 5 and 6, at Mangaluru Central Railway Station that should have been completed by February 2023, has come to a halt abruptly. Other than laying the tracks, the work status on Wednesday, April 19, remained as it was in November 2022.
Nearly two-decades old demand, work on the new platforms was sanctioned in the 2016-17 Railway budget. The actual work began in September 2022 after the old pit line was demolished upon the completion of the new pit line. The 2023-24 Budget too had sanctioned ₹4.76 crore for the additional platforms.
While the existing three platforms handle about 27 departures and arrivals, the new platforms would substantially have enhanced train handling capacity at the Central. They would also have fulfilled the long-pending demands of extending Mumbai CSMT-Mangaluru Junction Superfast, Yeshwantpur-Manglauru Junction Gomateshwara and Vijayapura-Mangaluru Junction Special express trains to the Central. In addition, more trains towards Mumbai and other parts of Karnataka could have been introduced from Mangaluru Central itself.
Pashchima Karavali Railway Yatri Abhivriddhi Samithi President G. Hanumantha Kamath told The Hindu that delay in completing new platform work indicates that the Palakkad Division and the Southern Railway continue their step-motherly treatment towards Mangaluru despite earning substantial revenues from the region.
‘Platform constraint’
The Zone had been citing ‘platform constraint’ as the reason to extend the three popular trains from Mangaluru Junction to Central and would continue to hold on to the same reason in future also. All of them were sanctioned to operate till Mangaluru Central by the Railway Board; yet the Zone had a reason to stop them at Mangaluru Junction.
In fact, SR introduced Mangaluru Central-Coimbatore Intercity Express after denying entry of CSMT-Mangaluru Junction Superfast to Central citing ‘platform constraint.’ How come platform became available for the Coimbatore service that was not available for the CSMT Superfast, he mused.
Only the earth work and laying of the track was complete for the new platforms while the balance work needs not less than six months to get completed, Mr. Kamath said. Platform shelters, overhead electricity traction, flooring, basic amenities including rest rooms and seating, extension of foot over bridges etc., require considerable amount of time, he noted.
Palakkad Division officials had been claiming the project would get completed by February and later extended it to March 31 and then to April 30. The present Divisional Railway Manager Yashpal Singh Thomar said, “It will be completed now,” without indicating any specific date.
