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Mumbai: Konkan Railway to Merge with Indian Railways?

  •   Fri, Sep 21 2007 07:48:46 AM

Mumbai: Konkan Railway to Merge with Indian Railways?

Report and Pics by Rons Bantwal
Daijiworld Media Network – Mumbai (RD/MB)

Mumbai, Sep 21: The Konkan Railway (KR) passenger services have been a boon to the Mangalorean Mumbaikars’ to travel to and from their native places across Mangalore. 

However, the proposal to include KR with Indian Railways by forming a separate zone either at Trichur in Kerala or Salem in Tamil Nadu (TN) is indeed a matter of concern for all the Mangaloreans.  The Kerala state has taken interest in the inclusion of KR with the Southern Railway in either Thiruvananthapuram or Palghat zone.  On the other hand, Tamil Nadu too is interested in including KR with Thiruvanthapuram – Palghat and forming Salem zone. 

Though Karnataka has secured the North Eastern Railway zone, KR’s inclusion into Southern Railway has become a controversial issue now. The ‘Matsyagandha’ passenger service was flagged off on the 746-km-long route in 1992. The innumerable express trains have linked most of the Konkan region with the rest of the Indian Railways (IR) network. 

However, the native Mangalorean Mumbaikars and coastal residents of Dakshina Kannada (DK) could face the fate of losing the privilege of comfortable travel to and from Mumbai and Mangalore, if the plans of the neighbouring states succeed. 

All those Mangalorean Mumbaikars who were hitherto enjoying the comfortable travel in KR and are determined to have the same privilege in the future, are urged to stage a struggle, in order to retain KR as a separate entity, thereby safeguarding it from going to the hold of the neighbouring states and protect the interests of the Konkan residents.  The KR was set up for the service of Konkans residing across Konkan region from Mangalore to Ratnagiri which should be at the service of Konkans at large, say many regular commuters between Mangalore and Mumbai.  

The agreement signed between KR and IR in 1991 would expire by December 2007.  KR is a profit-making public sector undertaking whose future hangs in delicate balance till it is decided shortly.  It would become a boon for DK populace, if KR retains its original entity.
  

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Comment on this article

  • Deepa,

    Wed, Oct 24 2007

    Konkan railway should have is own identity.

    DisAgree [1] Agree Reply Report Abuse

  • Jacintha Jaiswal, Mangalore/Mumbai

    Fri, Oct 19 2007

    We should safeguard our rights by opposing the move.

    DisAgree Agree Reply Report Abuse

  • samad, mumbai

    Wed, Oct 03 2007

    KR is a link between Mangalore and Mumbai, a gift for the people residing in the south to reach north at a lesser time. It is not a Railway of Karnataka. How we can say Matsyagandha for Kannadians and Netravati for Malayalees. Rajadhani and other trains to whom? let the KR merge with SR to make a separate zone between Trivandrum and Mumbai with HQ at Calicut / Palghat.

    DisAgree [1] Agree Reply Report Abuse

  • Karunakar, Mangalore, Puttur

    Sat, Sep 29 2007

    So far Konkar Railway is maintaining its own identity by giving good service to the people. If they want keep their identity intact, they should not hand over or merge with any of the Railways. Let Matsagandha be for Mangalorians and Netravathi for Keralites. Please, do not make devide & Rule policy.

    DisAgree Agree Reply Report Abuse

  • Dr K.Ratnakar Kini, Mangalore/Panvel

    Tue, Sep 25 2007

    No. Konkan Railway should not be merged with S.R. or C.R. It should maintain its own identity as it was since its inception in 1992. K.R. is the fruit of old stalwarts like Sri U.S.Mallya(M.P.),Madhu Dandavate, George Fernandes. T.A.Pai all l ex rail ministers from Konkan for the sole benefit of konkan residents. Hence Konkan Zone should be created say from Panvel or CBD to Mangalore as sugested by many and should function as it is.

    DisAgree Agree Reply Report Abuse

  • Mahesh Bondal, Mangalore

    Mon, Sep 24 2007

    It is really shocking that there is a move to merge KR with SR. For some reason or the other our region is already being negelcted.For instance the Mangalore Bangalore Train has had innumerable deadlines only to be broken and it is yet to see the light of the day.

    Similarly the Bus routes thro Shiradi are taking more than 10-12 hours these days to reach Bangalore due to the pathetic condition of the road. Matsyagandha has been extended upto Kerala if am not mistaken.This shows our representatives have no will power to develop the region and if at all anything has happened it is only due to some efforts put in by individuals and NGOs.

    It is surprising that it is Malayalam and Tamil that is used at Mangalore station than Kannada or Tulu for verbal communication. We should stop this unfair treatment meted out to us and see to it that Mangalore remains within Karnataka Division of the Railways like Hubli etc else we will suffer forever.

    DisAgree Agree Reply Report Abuse

  • Peter D'Souza, Mangalore

    Sun, Sep 23 2007

    It is time for the Mangaloreans to wake up. We are at times very slow to fight for our oun rights. Let us wake up, safeguard our interests and if needed come to the street and show that we are alert and responsible citizens. We need to insist on Mangalore zone or headquarters.

    DisAgree Agree Reply Report Abuse

  • MOHAN H NAIK, Mangaluru

    Sun, Sep 23 2007

    Mr Willie, becareful. Our own freiends may call you 'Chauvinist' for floating the idea of making Mangaluru a Railway zone as they are habituated to other state zones. Even somebody may taunt you with question 'So what you want to start agitation' ? Unless otherwise Kannadigas realise their right to live in dignified way,we will be slave to others in our own land. God save Karnataka.

    DisAgree Agree Reply Report Abuse

  • josen abraham, mumbai

    Sun, Sep 23 2007

    Konkan Railway and the Trivandrum and Palghat divisions ofthe Southern Railway should merge and form a new railway zone called west coast railway, headquartered either at Trivandrum or at Palghat. 

    DisAgree Agree Reply Report Abuse

  • Willie D'Souza, Belman / USA

    Sun, Sep 23 2007

    Why Mangalore cannot be made into a Zone and add some surrounding places from Trichur, Salem, Thiruvananthapuram or Palghat? Already Mangalore railway station is filled with people from other states who cannot communicate in the language of the State in whch they work for the people of that State.

    If you have to go to Mangalore Railway Station to reserve a ticket to wherever you must know the language of the person on the booking counter. What kind of arrangement is that? And now while we have an international airport in Bajpe is it not good to think and plan and make Mangalore a Zone by itself? Let everyone in Mangalore think of this, and oppose that idea of adding Mangalore in some other ZONE and make Managalore itself a Zone thus increase the employment opportunities for those of surrounding areas of Mangalore Station.

    DisAgree Agree Reply Report Abuse

  • Edgar sylva, Mangalore/Mumbai

    Sat, Sep 22 2007

    Pray,why can we not have just a Konkan zone which would extend all along the Konkan railway route. As everyone knows the Kurla to Panvel under Central Railway and the Thokur to Mangalore under Southern Railway controls makes the route from Kurla to Mangalore the "khandan" of three different railway zones.Let all users of the Konkan route oppose the move to hand over a decent and comfortable journey to the National Railway babus.It will be a retrograde step,Mr Railway Minister.

    DisAgree Agree Reply Report Abuse

  • K.Raghava Mayya, Padil, Mangalore-7

    Sat, Sep 22 2007

    The stations now under the control of KRC also would be flooded with employees of Kerala and TN origins as it is the case now in Mangalore station and in stations south to Mangalore.

    DisAgree Agree Reply Report Abuse

  • Valentine D'Silva, Mangalore/ Mumbai

    Fri, Sep 21 2007

    We should all oppose the move.

    DisAgree Agree Reply Report Abuse

  • Michael, Niddodi / Mumbai

    Sat, Sep 22 2007

    Konkan Railway should be saparate to maintain its name / identity. Please do not let it go to malabar / tamil hands. We need it has Konkan railway instead of becoming malbar railway.

    DisAgree Agree Reply Report Abuse

  • Padmanabha, Kasaragod/MANGALORE

    Sun, Sep 23 2007

    If at all the Indian Raiways have to merge Konkan Railway with them, let them create two Divisional offices with Mangalore as HeadQuarters of one Division including the Southern Railway section upto Calicut and another at Madgaon or Ratnagiri and merge them with Hubli Head Quartered South Western railway. In my opinion this is the best and most effective way of handling the merger.

    DisAgree Agree [1] Reply Report Abuse


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