Coastal rail groups defend Mangaluru integration plan

Passenger associations from Kundapura and Uttara Kannada have said the integration of the Mangaluru railway region with South Western Railway’s Mysuru Division should benefit the whole coastal Karnataka corridor rather than Mangaluru alone. The Kundapura Rail Prayanikara Hitarakshana Samithi and the Uttara Kannada Railway Seva Samithi issued the response after Dakshina Kannada District Rail argued that train services and railway development should not bypass Mangaluru. The two forums said the integration was intended to improve operational efficiency and infrastructure along the roughly 300-kilometre coastal railway network.

They argued that through trains between Bengaluru and Karwar or Madgaon need not enter Mangaluru if doing so would slow journeys for passengers elsewhere. According to the associations, routing such trains through Mangaluru Junction or Mangaluru Central could require a locomotive reversal. They said the procedure could add between one and two hours to travel time.

The forums said Mangaluru could seek services dedicated to the city, while through trains could use stations on its outskirts, including Farangipet, Padil Cabin and Kenjar or Jokatte. They suggested that halts at those stations could serve Mangaluru passengers without inconveniencing long-distance travellers. They also said the proposed Yeshwantpur–Madgaon–Yeshwantpur Vande Bharat service would run through Mangaluru Junction, and that residents could separately seek a dedicated Vande Bharat connection to Bengaluru.

The associations maintained that infrastructure should not remain concentrated at Mangaluru Central or Mangaluru Junction. They said development should cover passengers travelling along the wider stretch from Surathkal to Karwar.