KASARAGOD: Nestled inside the thick vegetation besides Manjeshwar railway station lies rusting iron pillars of the water tanks in the railway quarters buildings. An unused passenger train rake and wagon rake are idling on the extra track at Manjeshwar railway station. With 35 acres of land spread across both sides of existing station; the local residents say that Manjeshwar deserves to be brought back to prominence.
Manjeshwar is part of the railway line between Mangalore and Madras (present day Chennai), which the British started constructing since 1860. The stretch between Kumbla and Mangaluru was completed in 1907 with the completion of the railway bridge across River Nethravati.
During the steam engine days, the station was one of the important watering points for the steam locomotives. “We have also heard from our elders that the British loaded paddy from Manjeshwar, and Konkani-speaking traders played crucial role in this paddy loading from here,” says Abdul Majeed K, president of Manjeshwar Railway Passengers Association.
The station lost its prominence after the steam engines were phased out by diesel-electric locomotives on the section. The remnants inside the thick forest-like vegetation are of steam era, he explained.
With Palakkkad Division getting truncated by detaching Mangaluru region effective from October 1, Manjeshwar becomes the last station of Keralam as well as Southern Railway.
For now, there are six trains namely Parasuram Express, Mangaluru Central - Kozhikode - Mangaluru Central Express, Mangaluru Central - Chennai Egmore - Mangaluru Central Express, Ernad Expresss, Malabar Express, and Mangaluru Central - Coimbatore - Mangaluru Central Express halting for a minute on mornings and evenings.
Nevertheless, the rail users and residents have been demanding authorities, even before the truncation order by Railway Board dated August 21, to provide stoppages for more trains and develop the station with more platforms. After the Railway Board issued orders to detach Mangaluru region, the rail users here point out the need to promote it as a coaching and terminal station.
Focus is on ensuring smooth transition: Rlys
Kasaragod: All necessary preparatory and coordination measures would be taken in advance to ensure the smooth transition of Mangaluru region from Southern Railway’s Palakkad Division to South Western Railway’s Mysuru Division with minimum disruptions to railway operations and services, as per a meeting of the divisional railway managers. It was agreed that train services and railway operations would continue normally from 1 October, when the jurisdictional changes come into effect, said a statement from the railways.
Why Manjeshwar for terminal?
It is hardly a few metres away from National Highway 66
It becomes technically the last station of Southern Railway from October 1
There is 35 acres of land on both sides of existing railway station
There is adequate water for train maintenance as the stream runs inside railway property
There is an abandoned BSNL quarters which could become living quarters for railway staff