Union Minister V Somanna Pledges Swift Action on Coastal Karnataka Railway Development

Union Minister of State for Railways V Somanna on Wednesday assured that several pending railway development works in coastal Karnataka will be expedited. A high-level meeting of stakeholders will be soon convened with the Union Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw, he said. The minister arrived in Mangaluru to review the progress of railway development projects and spoke to reporters after visiting Mangaluru Central Station.

For the last 40 years, railway development in Mangaluru has been stagnant, and action will be taken to revive it, the minister said. Railway development works in the Mangaluru and Karwar sections that have connectivity to Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Goa, and Maharashtra have not been developed as expected.

In this regard, experts, people's representatives, and officials will be brought together within two months to prepare a blueprint.

Senior officials of the Railway Department briefed the minister about the development works on the coast. The coordination between the officials and people's representatives was found lacking, they said.

''We are planning comprehensive development related to railway networking in Karnataka in general and the coast in particular,'' Somanna added.

In a review meeting of the coastal railway infrastructure, the minister suggested having one zone administer coastal railway development, expansion, and additional services.

“The railway development on the coastal area had been sluggish and not many developmental works have been taken up in this region for the last 40 years and we will have to compensate for the time lost by giving the administration of the coastal railways to Mangaluru,” he indicated.

Earlier in the meeting, the Dakshina Kannada district administration proposed constituting Mangaluru as a zone to govern the entire coastal region.

Dakshina Kannada and Udupi-Chikmagalur MPs Captain Brijesh Chowta and Kota Srinivas Poojary urged the merger of Konkan Railway Corporation (KRCL) with Indian Railways, emphasizing its benefits for both the corporation and the traveling public. Chowta highlighted the need to halt the 40 per cent escalated fare collection by KRCL.

In response, Somanna stated that he will initiate a comprehensive plan of action from the three Railway Zones operating in Dakshina Kannada within a fortnight. This move aims to ensure that only one zone will have jurisdiction over the district. Somanna addressed the pressing issues of railway connectivity in coastal Karnataka.

Pending a resolution on jurisdiction, Somanna proposed a quarterly coordination committee meeting, to be convened by the Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner. This committee will include divisional railway managers (DRMs) from Southern Railway's Palakkad, South Western Railway's Mysuru, and KRCL's Karwar, alongside people's representatives, concerned officials, and passenger associations. This initiative responds to Capt Chowta's call for better coordination to address ongoing issues.

According to the officials, Somanna was informed about inter-zone conflicts during the meeting. Southern Railway controls about 40 kilometres of the route, including two major stations and one port, while KRCL and South Western Railway also operate networks within the district. To resolve these conflicts, the zones are expected to recommend a plan, which Somanna will then forward to Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw for a final decision.

Kota Srinivas Poojary supported the merger of KRCL with Indian Railways, citing KRCL's financial struggles and lack of infrastructure development. He stressed that this merger is a widespread demand among his constituents.

''The three MPs, including Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri from Uttara Kannada, will meet you once the Parliament session commences, and we request you to take us to the Railway Minister with this demand,'' Poojary said.

(With inputs from agencies.)