The Mangaluru railway region has officially moved from the Palakkad Division of Southern Railway to the Mysuru Division of South Western Railway, marking a major change in the region’s railway administration after decades under Palakkad.
The jurisdictional change came into effect at 12.01 am on Thursday, following a Railway Board notification issued on August 21, according to a report by The Times of India (TOI).
Mangaluru railway region now under Mysuru Division
The immediate change involves operational control of trains in the Mangaluru region shifting from Palakkad to Mysuru.
Mysuru Divisional Railway Manager Mudit Mittal said the division had set up a fourth control board specifically to manage operations in the Mangaluru region. The Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS) also prepared a minute-by-minute transition plan for the changeover.
According to officials, CRIS monitored the system for around two-and-a-half hours after the transfer, with operations expected to stabilise by around 3 am.
The new control board will coordinate operations across seven major stations and one halt, while also working with the Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd and the Palakkad and Mysuru divisions.
Railway assets transferred to Mysuru
The Mysuru Division has also taken operational control of railway assets in the region, including stations, bridges, land and sidings.
A team led by Additional Divisional Railway Manager Shammas Hameed is in Mangaluru to oversee the takeover.
However, the administrative and financial separation from Palakkad will take longer. Officials expect the process to require another 30 to 45 days as contracts, tenders, bills, works and service agreements currently grouped under Palakkad have to be separated and reassigned.
The Mysuru Division is working with the Palakkad finance team to complete the process.
No immediate changes to Mangaluru train services
The shift in railway jurisdiction is not expected to bring immediate changes to existing train services.
Officials said Mysuru Division will first assess infrastructure and operational capacity at Mangaluru Central and Mangaluru Junction. This includes studying platform lengths, train movements and available capacity before taking a decision on introducing additional services.
Crew exchanges will also be decided according to operational requirements. Running rooms are already available at both Mangaluru Junction and Mangaluru Central.
Mangaluru-Madgaon Vande Bharat extension sparks concern
The jurisdictional change comes amid concerns among railway users in Dakshina Kannada over the reported restructuring of the existing Mangaluru Central-Madgaon Vande Bharat service.
Railway users have raised questions over reports that the service could be extended to Yesvantpur via Hassan.
In a letter to Dakshina Kannada MP Capt Brijesh Chowta, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the existing Madgaon-Mangaluru Vande Bharat Express had been extended towards Bengaluru via Subrahmanya Road and Kabaka Puttur.
According to the letter, the service would operate as train numbers 26655/26656 Yesvantpur-Mangaluru-Madgaon Vande Bharat Express, with revised timings. The response came after Chowta's request for a new Vande Bharat service between Mangaluru and Bengaluru.
Rail users seek dedicated Bengaluru-Mangaluru Vande Bharat
Railway users have sought clarity on whether the existing service will be extended or restructured. Some have also renewed their demand for a dedicated Bengaluru-Mangaluru Central Vande Bharat service.
They have questioned the reported omission of Mangaluru Central from the revised route, given that it is the city's main railway station. Users have also raised concerns over the lack of a service extension towards Mumbai.
For now, officials have indicated that the administrative shift to Mysuru will not by itself result in immediate changes to train services. The new division is expected to first assess the region's operational requirements and infrastructure before considering changes or additions to services.
Inputs from TOI
