Mangaluru Railway Shift: Capt Brijesh Chowta Urges CM DK Shivakumar to Back SWR Integration
Byline: Political Bureau, Bangalore Mail
BENGALURU: Dakshina Kannada MP Captain Brijesh Chowta has written to Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, urging the State Government to formally back the Railway Board’s historic decision to bring the Mangaluru railway region under the Mysuru Division of the South Western Railway (SWR).
In a letter sent on Monday, August 24, 2026, the MP called on the state leadership to convey its support to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw ahead of the notified transition date of October 1, 2026.
The move comes as political leaders and Members of Parliament from neighboring Kerala have actively opposed the Ministry of Railways’ August 21 notification, which transfers Mangaluru’s jurisdiction out of the Southern Railway’s Palakkad Division.
Countering Opposition from Kerala
Emphasizing that Karnataka must protect its infrastructural interests, Capt. Chowta noted that political leaders from Kerala are aggressively campaigning to reverse the Railway Board’s order.
“This is not about taking a position against a neighbouring State. It is about placing Karnataka’s considered position on the railway administration and developmental requirements of Mangaluru formally before the Union Government,” Chowta wrote in his representation to Shivakumar.
Recalling Shivakumar’s previous appeals for political parties in Karnataka to present a united front on matters of state development, the MP stated that coastal residents would find it difficult to understand if the state government remained silent while Kerala leaders mobilized against the decision.
Jurisdiction Changes Effective October 1
Under the Railway Board’s gazette notification:
Division Control: The entire Mangaluru rail zone will shift from the Palakkad Division (Southern Railway) to the Mysuru Division (South Western Railway).
New Interchanges: The operational boundary between the Mysuru and Palakkad divisions will move from Padil to Ullal.
Konkan Railway Link: Thokur will serve as the official interchange point between Konkan Railway and SWR’s Mysuru Division.
Strategic Boost for Coastal Connectivity & Freight
Coastal Karnataka activists and business bodies, including the Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), have long demanded the integration of Mangaluru into SWR.
Currently, the Hassan-Mangaluru railway section and the critical Sakleshpur-Subrahmanya Road ghat section are already administered by the Mysuru Division. Bringing the Mangaluru coastal terminal under the same administrative division creates a unified rail corridor linking the hinterland directly to the coast.
Furthermore, as Mangaluru houses Karnataka’s primary sea gateway—the New Mangalore Port—unifying the Mangaluru–Hassan–Mysuru axis under a single railway division is expected to streamline freight traffic, enhance port connectivity, and accelerate passenger infrastructure upgrades across the region.
