Mangaluru: In a meeting held in New Delhi on August 3, Nalin Kumar Kateel has formally appealed to Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, requesting his ministry to take decisive action towards the comprehensive advancement of the Mangaluru Central railway station.
Regrettably, this vital transport hub has remained stagnant and devoid of any meaningful progress for an extended period spanning decades.
As per The Hindu report, during the meeting, Mr. Kateel presented a list of demands for his constituency to Mr. Vaishnaw. He highlighted that the century-old station is inadequate for the growing number of passengers in Mangaluru. He emphasized the need to upgrade Mangaluru Central Station to world-class standards.
Additionally, the MP underscored the significance of the Mangaluru-Bengaluru railway line, a pivotal link connecting the port city with the capital of Karnataka. Stressing the urgency of the situation, he advocated for the swift implementation of two crucial measures: the doubling of the railway line’s capacity and the electrification of the current infrastructure.
As per the report, he sought the extension of existing trains and the introduction of new ones, including the extension of the Mangaluru Central-Kabaka Puttur passenger train to Subrahmanya Road station and a new train to Kalaburagi and Bidar via Hassan, Chitradurga, and Ballari.
The MP also demanded the reintroduction of the Mangaluru-Miraj Mahalakshmi Express, its extension to Pune, and new trains to Rameswaram (Tamil Nadu), Karaikal (Puducherry), and Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh).
Furthermore, Mr. Kateel reiterated the need for the formation of the Mangaluru railway division by merging the Konkan Railway network in Karnataka and Goa, and Mangaluru railway region of Southern Railway with South Western Railway to streamline operations.
He also advocated for the integration of the Hassan-Mangaluru Rail Development Company with South Western Railway (SWR). This move seeks to amalgamate the efforts of the former, originally established for the purpose of gauge conversion along the Hassan-Mangaluru line, with the broader operational framework of SWR.
