Concern over proposal to bifurcate Palakkad rail division

Plan for new division at Hubli mooted less than a year ago

Rail users in north Kerala have expressed concerns about a proposal of the Ministry of Railways to either bifurcate or disband the Palakkad division.

The proposal to bifurcate the Mangaluru section under the Palakkad division for the creation of a new division at Hubli in Karnataka was mooted less than a year ago.

Similarity

For many, the move has a striking similarity to the creation of the Salem division by carving 75% of the route from the Palakkad division in 2007.

“Such a proposal will sound the death knell for the Palakkad division. After the formation of Salem division, the track of the Palakkad division has been reduced to less than 600 km. This bifurcation was also against the principles of railways,” Shyam Sundar, member of the Zonal Railway Users Consultative Committee, said. He said that the Mangaluru section was a major income earner for the Palakkad division. Bifurcation of this section would also reduce revenue generation. This happened in the case when the Salem division was formed. Besides, the Railways stipulate that a division should have 600 km of track, Mr. Sundar added.

There are other factors as well affecting the rail commuters in Malabar or even the State. If the Managluru section is cut off from the Palakkad division, then the Nagercoil section under the Thiruvananthapuram division will also go, for the creation of the Tirunelveli division, C.E. Chakkunni, working president, Confederation of All India Rail Users Associations, said.

He said that the Ministry of Railways had also come out with another move to have one railway division in the State.

That was to merge the existing Palakkad and Thiruvananthapuram divisions and create a new division at Ernakulam.

“All these years, we have been demanding for a zone in the State and for establishing an integral coach factory at Palakkad. Now we will lose two divisions,” Mr. Chakkunni said.