Bengaluru/Mangaluru: Railway Board Friday notified the migration of Mangaluru region from Palakkad division of Southern Railway (SR) to Mysuru division of South Western Railway (SWR ) zone, fulfilling a long-demand from Karnataka’s railway users and putting Mangaluru station in focus of railway network expansion initiatives.The change will take effect on Oct 1, with zonal interchange points shifting from Padil to Ullal.The network linking Panambur, Jokatte, Kulashekara, Padil, Mangaluru Junction, Mangaluru Central, Bundar, Netravati and Ullal will be merged into SWR. Thokur, however, will continue to remain with Konkan Railway and serve as interchange point between KRCL and SWR. According to the ministry, Ullal railway station south of Mangaluru will also be transferred during the process.Passengers from Karnataka were also demanding integration with KRCL. This, however, has to wait.Railway staff currently working in these regions will be given the option to stay in SR or switch to SWR. Seniority will be fixed based on length of service in the present grade.Dakshina Kannada MP Brijesh Chowta welcomed the development as a “great sense of contentment”. Girish Dharmaraj Kalagonda, senior divisional commercial manager of SWR’s Mysuru division, said the change means significant streamlining of operations. “Mangaluru was managed by Palakkad, which is very far. Employees were from different states and the local language had become an issue,” he added.Regular passengers feel that the change will prioritise Karnataka’s railway interests and streamline communication. Kaushik R, a passenger from Dakshin Kannada district, said, “The SWR-operated trains towards Mangaluru were not maintained properly. We want several trains to pass through Karnataka instead of Kerala.”+++++BIG 4 TAKEAWAYS1. Mangaluru Central may get to start long-distance trains to popular North India destinations2. Direct rail link to Bengaluru through Hassan could see greater focus, with more services3. Mangaluru Central may get greater importance in planning and infrastructure4. Users allege Mangaluru’s limited-terminal capacity disproportionately benefited Kerala-bound services+++++The decision will give more fillip to railway projects in Karnataka region, while SWR will also see higher revenue generation. It will provide employment opportunities for Karnataka people. Earlier, Palakkad division was getting financial benefits from freight movement from NMPT and other commercial activities. Now, these benefits will transfer to SWR, helping the state.V Somanna | Minister of state for railways
