Rly minister promises to consider merger demand

Minister of State for Railways Suresh Angadi on Wednesday promised to consider the demand to merge Mangaluru Railway region with the South Western Railway as decided by the Railway Board way back in 2004.

A memorandum was submitted by MP Nalin Kumar Kateel, who led a delegation of activists from the region, to the minister.

Kateel informed Angadi of the need to construct additional platforms at Mangaluru Central Railway Station. The minister immediately called the Divisional Railway Manager of Palakkad and directed him to expedite the work.

The MP also put forth some other long-pending demands of the coastal region before the Minister, who promised to look into the issues. The demands are operating the Bengaluru-Kannur/Karwar express via Shravanabelagola in all days of the week, instead of the present four-days via Shravanabelagola and three days via Mysuru; operating Yeshwantpur-Mangaluru Central overnight express (16585/586) on all days of the week instead of the present tri-weekly and changing its departure timing from Yeshwantpur from the present 4.30 pm to a convenient timing in the night.

The minister responded positively to the demand to reintroduce Mangaluru-Miraj Mahalakshmi Express that was stopped during the gauge conversion work of Hassan-Mangaluru line in 1994.