Six years and work yet to start on additional platforms in city

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Nov 27, 2018: The scene after 6  years since the plan for the building up of 2 new platforms at Mangaluru central railway station which it the prominent railway station in Karavali, is at a stand still.

There has been a flood of talk and assurances regarding the start of the work. Yet the plan remains unfulfilled. Instead, with the addition of even more proposals, it has come to light that the work will only get further delayed.

As a result the trains waiting for a new platform at Mangaluru Central railway station to come from Mangaluru Junction railway station will for the near future have to remain at Mangaluru junction railway station.

Presently, there are three platforms at Mangaluru central railway station which is an important rail hub of the region and is saturated and can not handle more needed trains. A plan drawn for the building of the additional platforms 4 and 5,  in 2012, a proposal with an estimate of Rs 16.55 crore was prepared and submitted to the railway council. However, the expectation of the inclusion of this proposal in the 2011-13 railway budget only remained as an expectation. However, it was included in the 2013-14 budget and a little grant was also released, but no work has yet been started.

Now the railway council has decided to take up work in one shot for the 5th platform along with the work on the 4th platform. But for this to happen, the present pit-lane needs to be relocated. Only after its relocation will the work begin. If the present pace of the processes is to be considered, it seems like it will be a long time in limbo.