Notwithstanding South Western Railway’s (SWR) demand with the Railway Board to give effect to the Railway Ministry’s decision to bring Mangaluru Railway Complex under its jurisdiction to enhance operational efficiency, Southern Railway (SR) has urged the board to retain Mangaluru under it as majority of passenger trains operated through here were destined towards Kerala, Tamil Nadu and the North.
Responding to Ministry’s query, SR recently said 23 of 31 pairs of passenger trains originating from Mangaluru Central head towards Kerala and Tamil Nadu. A majority of passenger trains handled at Mangaluru Junction from Kerala/Tamil Nadu were destined towards Konkan Railway (North). Panambur Railway Yard at New Mangalore Port was the major loading point for SR sending freight trains to SWR and SR.
Obtaining this communication under RTI, Railway activist Gautam Shetty said since the Board had already decided the merger would enhance operations, an official gazette notification should be issued immediately.
The only formality required was a board meeting to issue the same, he said.
The board’s letters to SR and KRCL came after A.K. Singh, GM, SWR, told the Ministry that both the Railways were non-cooperative to seamless integration of Railway system of the rest of Karnataka with that of Coastal Karnataka.
He urged the Board to notify its earlier decision of merging Mangaluru Complex of SR and Thokur Station of KRCL with SWR since these cater mainly to destinations within Karnataka (SWR).
Then Railway Minister Nitish Kumar during his visit to Mangaluru on December 28, 2003, had ordered the merger of Mangaluru Complex with SWR for operational reasons. The Board issued orders saying the merger could happen after the gauge conversion work between Hassan-Mangaluru.
Since no gazette notification was issued subsequently, the public as well as people’s representatives were urging the Board to formalise it.
Despite Minister of State for Railways Suresh C. Angadi promising Dakshina Kannada MP Nalin Kumar last December that the Ministry would soon issue an official notification, it is yet to happen, said G. Hanumanth Kamath, president of Paschima Karavali Rail Yatri Abhivriddhi Samithi.
