Railways to provide reservation counters and more at Mangaluru Central

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Apr 03, 2018: After several unsuccessful initiatives to improve railway infrastructure and passenger amenities in Mangaluru area in 2017-18, the Palakkad Division of Southern Railway (SR) is confident of succeeding in the same soon.

These works include the reconstruction of a passenger reservation centre and the providing of a second entry at Mangaluru Central Station this financial year.

In an effort to dispel the notion that Mangaluru area is being neglected by the SR, an official release listed details of expenditure in the previous fiscal and ongoing works. 

Complete electrification of Mangaluru-Shoranur (310 km) at an estimated cost of Rs. 361 crore last year was one of the major achievements, it said. While a few new trains were introduced out of Mangaluru, a new double line between Panambur and Jokatte, the opening of Jokatte Railway Station and the opening of Railway Siding for Container Corporation of India at New Mangalore Port Trust improved the infrastructure in the area.

The Railways are expectant of completing several ongoing projects within the stipulated deadlines.

They include the electrification of Mangaluru Junction-Panambur (18.5 km) stretch at an estimated cost of Rs. 18 crore; track doubling between Mangaluru Junction and Jokkatte with a 800 m tunnel at a cost of Rs. 135 crore; track doubling between Netravati Cabin-Mangaluru Central (1.5 km) at an expenditure of Rs. 20.86 crore; provision of new Platform No. 4 at Mangaluru Central at a cost of Rs. 6.67 crore; replacement of girder with RCC box of size 1x12.20x5.50 and extension of existing RUB at Padil on National Highway 75 at a cost of Rs. 3 crore; and elimination of a level crossing at Kanakarabettu, off Jeppu, and providing a parallel road to the next RUB at Jeppu Kudpady at a cost of Rs. 91 lakh.

During the current financial year, the Railways has also proposed to reconstruct the passenger reservation centre and crew offices at Mangaluru Central at a cost of Rs. 5 crore.

The new booking office at the second entry at Attavara is expected to come up at a cost of Rs. 75 lakh while the much-demanded toilet block on Platform Nos. 2 and 3 at Central would be built at a cost of Rs. 17 lakh.

Railway Protection Force post  :  Two elevators too would be installed and a Railway Protection Force post would come up at Mangaluru Junction Station.