New Delhi, 21 September

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the decision to keep the entire Mangaluru railway area under the South Western Railway (SWR) zone was taken to address operational challenges arising from its earlier division among three zones.

Mangaluru’s jurisdiction was earlier split between Southern Railway (SR), SWR and Konkan Railway Corporation Limited (KRCL), resulting in delays, congestion and control issues. Trains arriving from Goa or Hassan had to cross multiple railway zones before reaching Mangaluru station, Vaishnaw said.

The minister said he had met Kerala MPs to discuss the transfer to SWR and railway infrastructure development in the state.

The Railway Ministry said the fragmented jurisdiction had led to avoidable delays and operational conflicts on a critical traffic stretch. Bringing Mangaluru under SWR will unify the operational boundary by transferring it to the Mysuru Division of SWR, eliminating interchange conflicts and enabling smoother train movements, it said.

The move is part of a broader rationalisation effort aimed at improving efficiency by reducing zone-boundary issues, following similar realignments elsewhere.

However, several Kerala MPs have opposed the transfer, citing Mangaluru’s substantial freight revenue.

The ministry said the move would streamline operations and improve the functioning of the railway network in the region.