Mangaluru under SWR: Integration aimed at overall development of coastal Karnataka, not just Mangaluru, forums say

The Kundapur and Uttara Kannada District Passengers Association said trains between Bengaluru and Madgaon/Karawar need not enter Mangaluru and can instead proceed via Padil cabin (pictured) to provide faster and more efficient services to people in other parts of coastal Karnataka. | Photo credit: Anil Kumar Sastry

The Kundapur and Uttara Kannada District Railway Passengers Association said that the integration of the Mangaluru railway region with the South Western Railway (SWR) Mysuru division was to improve the overall operational efficiency and railway infrastructure across coastal Karnataka, not just Mangaluru.

Ganesh Putran, member of the Konkan Railway Users Advisory Committee and president of the Kundapura Rail Prayanikara Hitarakshana Samithi, and Rajeev Gaonkar, secretary, Uttara Kannada Railway Seva Samithi, on Sunday (October 4) issued a joint statement reacting to claims by the Mangaluru-based Mangaluru Association that the development should not be bypassed by the Mangaluru Railway Passengers Association. SWR of Mysuru Division.

Overturning of the locomotive

The forums said the integration was to facilitate the development of the entire 300 km long coastal railway network. Mangaluru associations could look for services exclusive to Mangaluru, but it would be unwise to look through services between Karwar/Madgaon and Bengaluru to enter the Mangaluru region. This is because it involves a ‘locomotive flip’ (changing the direction of the locomotive) either at Mangaluru Junction or Mangaluru Central, thereby losing one to two hours of travel time. “Nobody should be under the impression that Mangaluru should get first priority because Indian Railways belongs to everyone,” the forums said.

Forums also pointed out that the proposed Yeshwantpur-Madgaon-Yeshwantpur Vande Bharat (VB) Express will not skip Mangaluru as it runs through Mangaluru Junction. Mangaloreans were also empowered to seek a dedicated VB service for Bengaluru, they added.

Disinformation campaign

The forums alleged that misinformation was being systematically spread on social media suggesting that Bengaluru-Karwar trains were “bypassing Mangaluru”, although the trains are plying on the city’s main line. Activists want every train to enter Mangaluru Central and Mangaluru Junction and state that Vande Bharat Express services are exclusively for Mangaluru Central.

The forums termed the narrative as narrow and said that coastal Karnataka is not limited to Mangaluru but stretches over 300 km towards Karwar and includes important cities, educational institutions, industrial centres, tourist destinations and commuters.

Develop more stations

Considering the argument of Mangaluru associations that Mangaluru Central and Junction itself constitute the city of Mangaluru as a misnomer, the forums urged SWR to develop more stations in the periphery of Mangaluru including Farangipet, Padil Cabin, Kenjar/Jokatte to serve the patrons in Mangaluru. Through trains plying the Mangaluru region could be halted at any of these stations for the benefit of Mangaloreans, the forums said.

Forums stated that anyone alighting from Bantwal railway station can reach Mangaluru Central in about 30 minutes, forums noted that a regular train on the other hand would take at least one hour to reach Central from Bantwal and another hour to Karwar due to locomotive reversal, signalling, platform and way availability etc. Passengers on through trains should not suffer.

In fact, railway infrastructure development should encompass the entire region rather than remaining concentrated at one or two stations or locations, the forums said.

Published – 04 Oct 2026 15:14 IST