Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (MS)

Mangaluru, Dec 15: The eagerly anticipated fourth and fifth platforms of the Mangaluru Central railway station have been completed and are now operational, being utilized for train parking since Saturday. Although the formal inauguration is pending, these platforms are already in use.

Currently, there are passenger foot overbridges (FOBs) connecting the first platform to the second and third platforms. However, the newly constructed platforms lack FOBs, causing inconvenience for passengers. To address this concern, the platforms will be made accessible to passengers only after the construction of FOBs is completed.

With the inauguration of the fourth and fifth platforms, the Karvali Railway Passengers’ Association is actively seeking the extension of trains such as the Yashwantpur-Mangaluru Jn Gomateshwara Express, Yashwantpur-Mangaluru Jn weekly train, and Mangaluru Jn-Vijayapura Express to Mangaluru Central railway station. Southern Railway had previously cited space constraints as the reason for not considering this demand.

Simultaneously, the Kerala Railway Passengers’ Association is working towards extending trains like the Kannur-Coimbatore Express, Kannur-Ernakulam Express, and Calicut-Coimbatore Express to Mangaluru Central railway station.

Furthermore, preparations are underway to introduce the intercity Vande Express high-speed train from Mangaluru. The pit-line upgradation work is currently in progress, and upon completion, the Vande Bharat Express train is expected to run between Mangaluru Central and Thiruvananthapuram or Ernakulam.