Commuters upset over delay in work on railway platforms

Tenders for two additional platforms sanctioned in 2016-17 yet to be called for

The Yeshwantpur-Mangaluru Central Tri-weekly Express, though an overnight service, leaves Yeshwantpur in the afternoon (4.30 p.m.) on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays to reach Mangaluru Central at 4 a.m. the next day.

Asked about the odd departure schedule for an overnight express, South Western Railway sources said that the zone had no other option. The Southern Railway, which administers Mangaluru Railway Region, had said that it cannot receive the train at Mangaluru Central beyond 4 a.m. because of non-availability of platforms.

“As such, the timetable had to be worked backwards to suit the 4 a.m.-arrival of the train at Mangaluru Central; moreover, the departure slot available at Yeshwantpur is 4.30 p.m.,” the sources said.

While Southern Railway had been sending proposals to the Railway Board since 2009 to fulfil the decades-old demand for additional platforms, it was approved in the 2016-17 budget; yet nothing has moved forward.

A senior official with Southern Railway’s construction organisation that handles the project told The Hindu that the estimates for the construction of two additional platforms were pending with the Railway Board.

The approval is expected in a couple of months and tenders may be called for by March 2020, he said.

Responding to a query from The Hindu , the Palakkad Division said that the work involves shifting of the pitline at Mangaluru Central and hence, it is taking more time.

The then Divisional Railway Manager Naresh Lalwani had in 2017 planned to construct one additional platform that does not require shifting of the pitline. However, the Railways has again opted for two platforms.

Passengers affected

Rail fan Dinesh Bhat from Puttur said that the inordinate delay is affecting services from Mangaluru Central to different parts of the State, including introduction of new trains.

Many services, including the Yeshwantpur-Mangaluru Junction Tri-weekly day train, the Mumbai CSMT-Mangaluru Junction Express and the Vijayapura-Mangaluru Junction Tatkal Special are being terminated at Mangaluru Junction in view of the lack of platforms at Mangaluru Central, he regretted.

26 trains

With four platforms, Mangaluru Central caters to 26 originating and terminating trains every day, while eight trains halt overnight. Two additional platforms along with the doubled line towards Netravathi Cabin would considerably have enhanced train handling capacity at Mangaluru Central facilitating introduction of more trains.

Line doubling starts

Work on doubling the 1.5-km line between Netravathi Cabin (towards Kerala) and Mangaluru Central recently commenced, though funds for the project had been allocated in the 2017-18 budget itself.

Being executed at an estimated cost of ₹ 21 crore, the work also involves the reconstruction of two road overbridges in Jeppu. Doubling work should be completed by March next, said a senior official from the construction wing of Southern Railway.