Railways to convert old goods shed in Bunder as a ballast yard

The Southern Railway's Palakkad Division is transforming an old goods shed in Bunder, Mangaluru, into a ballast yard. Spanning about eight acres of land, the yard will store ballast necessary for railway track construction. The project involves dismantling old godowns in the area and leveling the land to accommodate ballast storage.

Concerns from the public and civil society organizations arose due to the frequent movement of freight trains and trucks in the city center. In response, the railways shifted the goods shed to Ullal Railway Station in 2023. The vacated yard was then utilized to stably passenger trains, causing further disruptions at Pandeshwar and Hoige Bazar Level Crossing gates.

The railways had to implement a timetable to control the closure of these gates. A proposal to transfer the Bunder Railway land to Mangaluru City Corporation remains pending. A senior railway engineer stated that tracks in the old goods shed will be modified to accommodate ballast hoppers and facilitate loading and unloading in the yard.

A compound wall will be constructed to secure the area and prevent unauthorized entry. However, the Jeppu-based Amba Maheshwari Seva Trust remains skeptical and urged the railway authorities, Mangaluru City Corporation, and the district administration to devise a comprehensive plan to address the city's traffic flow issues.