Railway Minister meets MPs from Keralam on shifting of Mangaluru to Mysuru division of SWR

A view of the Mangaluru Central station Ahead of the merger of the Mangaluru railway area with the Mysuru division of South Western Railway (SWR) on October 1, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw held discussions with MPs from Keralam on Monday and briefed Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan on railway development in the State and operational issues concerning the Mangaluru area, which was till recently a part of the Palakkad Railway Division of the Southern Railway.In a post on ‘X’, Mr. Vaishnaw said: “we discussed the operational issues in the Mangaluru railway area, which is currently divided among three railway zones, resulting in serious operational difficulties. The decision to keep Mangaluru in South Western Railway (SWR) will solve the operational problems. We also discussed the development of the railway network in Keralam with Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan,” he said.According to a briefing issued by the Union Minister after the meeting, the Mangaluru railway area is currently served by three railways: Southern Railway, South Western Railway, and the Konkan Railway Corporation Limited (KRCL). Trains arriving at Mangaluru from either Goa or Hassan have to pass through three operational areas and interchange points before reaching the station, resulting in avoidable delays and difficulties in train control and operations.The arrangement has created multiple operational jurisdictions within a compact stretch of the railway network. Railways are now rationalising the arrangement purely on operational efficiency grounds by bringing the entire Mangaluru area under a single zone, South Western Railway.Transferring the entire Mangaluru area to the Mysuru division of SWR will establish a unified operational boundary, eliminate inter-zone interchange conflicts and enable smoother and more efficient train operations, Mr. Vaishnaw said.Allocation for KeralamMr. Vaishnaw also said the Union government had increased the railway allocation for Keralam tenfold, from ₹372 crore in 2014 to ₹3,795 crore in the 2026-27 financial year, adding that a clear roadmap had been prepared for the development of the railway network in the State. Over the past 12 years, the increased investment had translated into substantial infrastructure development, including the completion of six doubling and gauge-conversion projects, the construction of 131 flyovers and underpasses, 100% electrification of the railway network, and the redevelopment of 16 stations under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme.Further, projects worth more than ₹20,000 crore are currently under execution in Keralam, comprising nine multitracking and new-line projects, 145 flyovers and underpasses, and the redevelopment of 19 stations, he said. Published - September 21, 2026 07:38 pm IST