Railway to shift goods shed to Ullal, pit-lines to come up at Bunder

The move would decongest train traffic at Mangalore Central Station

As a part of developing Mangalore Central to international standard, the Southern Railway is mulling over a host of ideas that could give facelift to the station.

According to reliable sources, to make available of more space at Central station, the existing goods shed at Bunder would be shifted to Ullal and Bunder will become the pit-line maintenance centre as it would be replaced from central station. The proposed plan will ease the congestion at Central station which can be utilised for accomodating more trains other than for mechanical purpose.

At present, Central station has 12 railway lines of which eight are used for train maintenance purpose (pit-line) such as inspection, washing, mechanical checking etc.

Since only four lines are there to receive arriving trains, it creates a lot of traffic congestion apart from troubling commuters. Railway officials admit that trains coming from Kerala have to make a 45 minute halt before Nethravathi bridge for the non availability of tracks at station.

The stranded train can resume journey towards station only after the train departs from central. Chennai-Mangalore Mail and Coimbatore-Mangalore Intercity Express are the daily ‘victims’ of these prolonged delay.

 The single line between Central Station and Nethravathi cabin add to this woes. If the pit-line service is shifted to Bunder, railways can use all 12 lines for receiving and departing trains and also will pave way for getting more services in future.

At present, Mangalore Central station has only three platforms. Two lines are needed for a platform and if the eight pit-lines are made available, the station can boast of seven platforms, said a railway official.

Bunder goods shed

Bunder goods shed has existing seven lines and these would be used for pit-line purpose. At present, FCI food items, cement and fertilizers are reached here by goods trains and stored here itself. The shed would be shifted to the railway station premises at Ullal, where railways own significant tracts of land in addition to four lines.

A railway official on condition of anonymity confided that the proposal for shifting was approved but a formal confirmation is pending from Chennai zone. The entire shifting process will take two years, it is learnt.

The process would mark the kicking off of development activities at Mangalore Central to elevate it into world standard. Elevators, lifts, a maximum of 26 platforms, other passenger amenities are also in the pipeline, if railway officials are to be believed.

Though Palakkad division is surviving on the revenue from Mangalore, officials admit that the port city has been given prominence only second to that of Kozhikode under the division.