Two lifts sanctioned to Mangaluru junction, says Naresh Lalwani, Palakkad DRM

MANGALURU: Two lifts have been sanctioned to Mangaluru Junction, Kannur, Vadakara and Kanhangad under Palakkad division of Southern Railway. Two lifts have also been sanctioned at Shoranjur Junction connecting platforms 1 with plaforms 4/5, noted Naresh Lalwani, divisional railway manager (DRM), Palakkad division at the 154th Divisional Railway Users’ Consultative Committee (DRUCC) Meeting held at Palakkad on Tuesday.

In all, 20 members nominated from various organisations, nominees of Members of Parliament and nominee of Union minister of railways attended the meeting. Naresh, also president of DRUCC announced that tenure of current DRUCC has been extended up to September 30, 2017. Since earnings of the division is passenger oriented, every effort is being made to provide better passenger amenities to customers and passengers with assistance of stakeholders.

Regarding Mangaluru Central railway station, Naresh said that construction work of second entry to the station will commence soon. The second entry will have facilities for booking and reservation of tickets and parking space for two and four wheeler vehicles. In addition to this, the open space around the building will also be developed, he said adding that the division has received several representations from local rail users’ forum in this regard.

To a subject raised by members regarding extending service of Byndoor–Kasaragod-Kannur passenger to Guruvayoor, Naresh said the proposal is not currently feasible due to capacity constrains in the sector. The patronage in this passenger train is low and so it is proposed to integrate it with service of Mangaluru-Madgaon inter-city express, which too has relatively low patronage. Such a move is likely to be beneficial to more passengers, he averred.