The railway track-doubling work between Padil and Jokatte, except the tunnel work near Kulashekara, will be over by March, 2019, according to an official of Southern Railway.
He told a meeting called by Nalin Kumar Kateel, Member of Parliament, to review the progress of railway and national highway projects in Dakshina Kannada on Wednesday that the tunnel work would take about a year to complete. Once the about 10-km-long double track is commissioned, it would decongest the train traffic between Thokuru and Mangaluru Junction.
Responding to a demand by an activist to re-introduce Mangaluru–Miraji train via Sakleshpur–Hassan–Arasikere another railway official replied that it could be considered to operate from Mangaluru Junction station and not from Mangaluru Central. The activist said that since the dismantling of the metre-gauge line on the section during 1994–95, Mangaluru–Miraj train service has not been reintroduced. The goods trains began operating on the stretch in 2006 and passenger trains subsequently after completing broad guage work in 2005. But the said train service continues to remain cancelled.
An official said a proposal to introduce Mangaluru–Rameswaram train service was before the Railway Board.
G. Hanumantha Kamath, president, Nagarika Hitarakshana Samithi, said Palakkad Division of the Southern Railway earned highest revenue from Mangaluru. Notwithstanding it, the division showed “stepmotherly” attitude to Mangaluru as it did not take up and complete the railway projects at the expected speed. A case in point is not building additional platforms at the Central railway station and not constructing the second entrance.
Separate division
Railway activist Sudarshan Puttur said if Mangaluru railway division was created by carving it out of Palakkad, the “injustice” being meted out to Mangaluru could be addressed.
Without committing himself on creation of Mangaluru division, Mr. Kateel said there were many problems for creating the division.
