Mangaluru
Dakshina Kannada MP Capt Brijesh Chowta has urged Union Minister of State for Railways and Jal Shakti, V Somanna, to convene a meeting of all stakeholders in Mangaluru to address various concerns pertaining to railways in the district. The MP, who met the Minister in New Delhi recently, sought his attention to two major long-pending issues of the coastal region pertaining to railway sector that can transform Karnataka’s path of development. Highlighting the need for merger of Konkan Railway with Indian Railways, the MP said that passengers traveling from Mangaluru to the rest of the coastal towns across the Konkan stretch have been bearing the brunt of the issues faced by Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd (KRCL), which, being an independent entity, is plagued by financial constraints, dependency on other zones for crucial railway infrastructure, among others.
The 741-km line connects Mumbai with Mangaluru and passes through Maharashtra, Goa, and Karnataka along the western coast. If merged with the Indian Railways, doing away with the hassles that it currently faces, this stretch too will see state-of-the-art rail infrastructure development that we are witnessing in the rest of the country and be able to transform into a rail corridor that can connect all the port cities, along the stretch as well as the neighbouring regions to foster trade, tourism, and enhance ease of travel for passengers on this route. Being the only city in Karnataka with air, road, rail, and water connectivity, it is a key commercial centre and export trade hub,” Capt Chowta pointed out.
Further, the MP urged a feasibility study regarding the handling of the Shiradi Ghat stretch for the upgradation of the Mangaluru-Bengaluru railway line to facilitate freight and passenger movement between the two key cities.
