Mysuru Division begins process to take over Mangaluru rail region
Chances of running more trains within SWR improve, but constraints in ghat section remain a hurdle
On Friday, the Railway Ministry announced its decision to transfer the Mangaluru railway region from Southern Railway's Palakkad Division to South Western Railway's Mysuru Division. This move came into effect by October 1, with the South Western Railway (SWR) commencing preparations to assume assets and operations of the region. The Railway Ministry issued a Gazette notification to formalize the process.
Mysuru Divisional Railway Manager Mudit Mittal informed The Hindu that after the Onam celebrations, either a team from Palakkad or a team from Mysuru would visit the other to discuss the necessary steps for the takeover, focusing on assets, staff transfer or continuation, and other issues. The team aims to take over the operations of the Mangaluru region within a month.
To facilitate smooth operations, the train interchange point with Southern Railway is being shifted from Padil to Ullal. This change should help eliminate complaints of delayed arrivals at Mangaluru Junction, which have been reported due to trains from Mumbai and Bengaluru regions being delayed at Thokur and Padil (under Konkan Railway and SWR jurisdictions, respectively). With these changes, operational punctuality is expected to improve.
Mysuru's General Manager is now competent to run trains within the zone, allowing for the introduction of more passenger trains connecting Mangaluru with other parts of the state. However, due to constraints on the Sakleshpur-Subrahmaya Road Ghat section, the sole link between the coast and hinterland, the number of trains that can be operated might be limited. This could hinder the introduction of new trains.
Efforts are being made to enhance the Sakleshpur-Subrahmanya Road ghat capacity by constructing a crossing station at Arebetta, suggested by Dakshina Kannada MP Capt. Brijesh Chowta and Udupi-Chikkamagaluru MP Kota Srinivas Poojary. Additionally, a new line with a flatter gradient on the ghat section is being pursued to allow more trains to run, according to Pashchima Karavali Railway Yatri Abhivriddhi Samithi president G. Hanumanth Kamath.
Written by urgent.news from The Hindu's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
