Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (MS)

Mangaluru, Jul 7: Frequent train travelers from Mangaluru are demanding a separate railway division for the city due to its rapid growth.

Mangaluru is the only city in Karnataka with all four modes of transport: road, rail, air, and water. It is a commercial hub with significant industries like MCF, KIOCL, MRPL, and CAMPCO. Products from South India are exported via NMPT, and imports, including crude oil, come through the same port. Thus, Mangaluru holds substantial commercial importance.

Pilgrimage sites like Kukke Subramanya, Shree Kshethra Dharmasthala, Kateel, Polali, Mangaladevi, Kadri, Kudroli, Puttur Mahalingeshwara, Karinja, and Bappanadu are located in and around Mangaluru, attracting visitors from across the state. The city is also home to educational institutions like NITK, Canara, St Aloysius College, Sahyadri Engineering College, and St Joseph’s, as well as hospitals like Unity, KMC, AJ, Mangala, Indiana, and Yenepoya, serving lacs of patients, including those from neighboring states.

Many residents from the district and nearby areas travel to Gulf countries from Mangaluru, making the city vital in many respects. However, Mangaluru lags behind other cities in railway infrastructure. It is divided between the Palakkad section of Southern Railways, Mysuru of South Western Railways, and Konkan Railway, preventing it from receiving comprehensive railway services and benefits.

To address these issues and develop Mangaluru Central and Junction as major railway centers, begin train services to various Karnataka cities, and upgrade Mangaluru Central railway station to international standards, a separate railway division is needed.

There is already a call to include Konkan Railway Corporation under Indian Railways. If implemented, the Mangaluru to Madgaon and Sakleshpur to Hassan railway routes should be added, making Mangaluru Central the central point and creating a separate railway division. This would fulfill the railway demands of coastal region residents and enable fundamental infrastructure development. Moreover, new railway services from Subramanya to Madgaon would no longer require approval from three different sections.

To strengthen this demand, the Dakshina Kannada Railway Passengers’ Committee has started a signature campaign on July 4 which will go on till August 2. The committee has urged the public to participate actively.