Keralam loses nothing with Mangaluru’s bifurcation from Palakkad: Railways

Survey work is under way for detailed project reports of over 800 km of third- and fourth-line augmentation across six sections, including Mangaluru-Shoranur, the Indian Railways said on Monday in Mangaluru. | Photo Credit: ANIL KUMAR SASTRY The Indian Railways has said that bringing Mangaluru under the South Western Railway (SWR) enables unified planning and control, facilitating more effective coordination of train operations, timetabling, better passenger experience and freight movement. It also said Keralam loses nothing by bifurcation of the Mangaluru railway region from Palakkad Division of the Southern Railway as investments on rail infrastructure are made on network requirement basis irrespective of the earning of the division or zone.Urging the people of Keralam to see the railways’ decision as a move to improve operational efficiency, the railways has said that the NDA government at the Centre has increased investment in Kerelam railway network substantially. The annual average outlay for railway infrastructure works in Keralam has risen from ₹372 crore during the UPA period to ₹3,795 crore during 2026-27, a 10-fold increase.During the last decade, substantial infrastructure was created in Keralam, including six doubling/gauge-conversion projects, 131 flyovers and underpasses, 100% electrification of the network, and redevelopment of 16 stations under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme. Six Vande Bharat and six Amrit Bharat train services were introduced for Keralam.₹20,000 cr. projects in pipelineFurthermore, the ministry said projects worth over ₹20,000 crore were in the pipeline for Keralam, including nine multitracking/new-line projects, 145 flyovers and underpasses, and redevelopment of 19 stations. Survey work was under way to prepare detailed project reports (DPRs) for over 800 km of third- and fourth-line augmentation across six sections. Jurisdiction rationalisationStating that the Mangaluru jurisdiction rationalisation was a narrowly operational, efficiency-driven measure, the railways stated that the change brings operations in the region under one zone, SWR, eliminating multiplicity of operational jurisdictions within a compact and traffic critical stretch. A train arriving at Mangaluru from either Goa or Hassan had to cross three operational jurisdictions and interchange points before reaching the station, causing avoidable delays, and congestion in train operations.Far-end of PalakkadMangaluru lies at the far end of Palakkad division over 350 km while Mangaluru’s principal onward links, Mangaluru-Hassan-Mysuru line and connectivity to Bengaluru, already lie within the SWR.A clear, unified operational boundary for the entire Mangaluru area by transferring it to Mysore Division of SWR eliminates interchange conflicts between zones, enabling smoother and more efficient operations.Port connectivityRailways further said that the New Mangalore Port caters to traffic requirements of power and steel plants located in SWR and KRCL. Mangaluru Port’s hinterland extends across South and North Karnataka; its integration with SWR would facilitate seamless coordination and movement of both empty and loaded rakes.The change is administrative, confined to Karnataka only and gives Mangaluru and the coastal ghat section single point operational control. Keralam loses no station, because Mangaluru city is in Karnataka. Palakkad division retains its entire Keralam territory across Kasargod, Kannur, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Palakkad, and Thrissur districts. Published - August 24, 2026 08:53 pm IST