THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Minister V D Satheesan has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking his immediate intervention to halt the Railway Board’s decision to transfer Mangaluru area from Palakkad Division of Southern Railway to the Mysuru Division of South Western Railway. In the letter dated August 24, the chief minister expressed serious concern over the move, which is scheduled to take effect on October 1, 2026.
He pointed out that a decision with far-reaching implications for Kerala’s railway infrastructure and development, particularly in the northern Malabar region, was taken without any prior consultation with the state government.
Satheesan noted that the proposed transfer will detach key infrastructure from the Palakkad Division, including Mangaluru Central, Mangaluru Junction, and the vital port rail network at Panambur.
The CM underscored severe financial ramifications for the state, citing reports that the Mangaluru region accounts for over 90% of Palakkad Division’s freight revenue, approximately Rs 650 crore, and contributes over 50% of its overall annual revenue of Rs 1,650 crore.
Recalling the 2007 reorganisation that carved out the Salem Division and reduced Palakkad’s territory, Satheesan urged the PM to keep the current transfer order in abeyance. He requested that the Ministry of Railways reconsider the decision after consulting the Kerala government.
‘Bid to divert focus from state govt’s failures’
BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar has claimed that the controversy surrounding the administrative reorganisation of the Mangaluru Railway Division is a deliberate attempt to divert public attention from UDF government’s failures during its first 100 days in office. Chandrasekhar stated that Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has assured that Kerala’s rail development will not suffer and that funds allocated under the state’s railway development blueprint will remain untouched.