Records show Mangalore had rail connectivity in 1907
— Photo: R. Eswarraj
Deserted: A view of the century-old Netravati Railway bridge in Mangalore.
MANGALORE: Records with the Southern Railways show that the first train to be introduced in the zone, train number-1, ran its maiden journey between Madras Harbour and Mangalore port in 1914, reducing the voyage of 1024 nautical miles via Cape Comorin to 550 miles. Those were the days when the Indian Railways was divided into just two broad zones — North and South.
Although Mangalore was connected by rail with the construction of the Nethravati bridge in 1907, suggesting that there were trains that connected the port city even before 1914, there is no record of trains having run through Mangalore during that time.
A few years later, in 1929, the Grand Trunk Express was introduced that ran for 104 hours through the length of the west coast, from Mangalore to Peshwar in Pakistan. In those days, it was the longest rail route in the country.
There is a map showing the major railway destinations of the country in the foreground of an advertisement published by RailTel, a public sector communications subsidiary of the Indian Railways. But Mangalore Railway Station that will complete 100 years by November 2008, finds no mention on the map.
In 1930, Mangalore was made a permanent station from a trial station, and 77 years later, citizens and trade organisations from across the district, are up in arms and treading the agitation trail demanding better rail connectivity to the region via Mangalore Railway Station.
Long routes
B.S. Rai, activist, says: “I don’t understand why a port city, and an important economic, educational, and health destination like Mangalore, has been relegated to a menial position on the Railway calendar.
Almost all the trains connecting the city are on a roundabout route. The interest of passengers from this region is last in the minds of Railway officials”.
Mr. Rai has made some suggestions in a proposal presented to the Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
It is claimed that if they are implemented, the distance between Chennai and Mangalore could be reduced by 183 km.; between Mangalore and Kazipet by 430 km.; Mangalore and Hyderabad by 600 km.; Mangalore and Bhopal by 420 km., and Mangalore and Visakhapatnam by 308 km.
The prime demand of the agitators seems to be starting the Mangalore-Bangalore passenger train which has not happened despite several promises. Hanumanth Kamath, president of the Nagarika Hitarakshana Samiti, a citizens organisation, said: “I dread the very thought of making a trip to Bangalore by road. It takes a minimum of 18 hours nowadays to cover 350-odd km.”.
Divisional status
The sharing of seats in the Matsyagandha Express by passengers from Kerala, and the stunting of the route of the Jan Shatabdi, which was initially planned between Mumbai and Mangalore, are issues which nobody in the Railways is willing to discuss.
The crux of the issue, according to president of KCCI, K.N. Prabhu, is that Mangalore is currently under the Palghat Division.
“Mysore, Bangalore and Hassan are under the South-West Railways.
But Mangalore, which is the western-most point on this line, is under the Southern Railways, headquartered in Chennai.
Mangalore must be made autonomous for it to develop. That is the only way to provide the succour to the people of this region,” he said.
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