'Railway works have picked up pace under NDA rule'

MP Nalin Kumar Kateel on Thursday said development works picked up the pace with NDA government releasing funds to the tune of Rs 1,500 crore to three railway divisions in Dakshina Kannada district.

He was speaking after flagging off the Yeshwanthpur-Mangaluru tri-weekly express train (16585/16586) at Mangaluru Central Railway Station.

Train Number 16585 will run on every Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. It will depart from Yeshwanthpur (Bengaluru) at 4.30 pm (via Shravanabelagola-Hassan-Sakleshpur-Subrahmanya Road-Kabaka Puttur-Bantwal-Mangaluru Junction) and reach Mangaluru Central at 4 am.

Similarly, Train No 16586 will depart from Mangaluru Central every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 7 pm and will reach Yeshwanthpur Railway Station on the following morning (5 am).

Foundation stone

The MP also laid the foundation stone for the extension and raising of Platform Number 1 and 2 at Kabaka Puttur, Bantwal stations and a foot overbridge at Subrahmanya Road estimated at a total cost of Rs 7.81 crore.

Kateel said, “The railway works were completed at a snail’s pace during the UPA rule. But under the NDA government, Indian Railways has undergone many changes. Unmanned level crossings are being created across the country. The railway stations and railway bogies are clean and hygienic under Swacch Bharat initiative. The railway stations have been equipped with free wi-fi facility. The issues of railway commuters are being solved in a jiffy”.

The MP lamented that interdepartmental coordination is the main stumbling block in implementing the development works.

The railway route in the district is shared by three divisions - Palghat, Mysore and Konkan railways, the MP said and added that most of the issues with railway divisions are solved after meetings conducted at regular intervals.

The new railway bridge near NMPT, Panambur and Padil-Bajal railway underbridge have been constructed. Konkan Railway regional office and Railway Mail Service (RMS) buildings have been established in Mangaluru, he added.

Demands

Kateel said a memorandum has been submitted to Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal urging him to fulfil the main demands, including the formation of Mangaluru Railway Division, the extension of the Tirupati-Hassan, Mumbai-Goa Jan Shatabdi Express and augmentation of more trains to Bengaluru.

The minister has agreed to revise the train time table to cater to the needs of Mangaluru-Bengaluru passengers, he added.

Mayor Bhaskar K said that many projects, taken up by Mangaluru City Corporation, have been awaiting clearance from the Railways and the department should expedite proposals in public interest, he said.

Mangaluru South MLA D Vedavyas Kamath, Zilla Panchayat President Meenakshi Shanthigodu, Indian Railways Mysuru Divisional Railways Manager (DRM) Aparna Garg, Palakkad Division Additional Divisional Railway Manager (ADRM) Sai Baba were present.