The move to upgrade the Mangalore Central railway station has sparked a debate as many users feel its “old-world charm” should be preserved at all cost.
The move to upgrade the Mangalore Central railway station has sparked a debate as many users feel its “old-world charm” should be preserved at all cost. The Southern Railway is planning to upgrade several stations in the state and is taking the Yeshwanthpur railway station as a model.
But critics feel the same parameters could not be applied to Mangalore railway station, which has colonial-era structures. The station was handed over to the Indian Railways by the British and its frontage has a heritage value and care should be taken to keep its old-world charm intact during upgradation, they feel.
Additional general manager of Southern Railways, JN Jagannathan, however, said station is on its way to become world-class in terms of passenger amenities. Former zonal railway users committee member Jayaram Malar said: “The railway station is more than 100 years old, but it has not been made a heritage structure. There is not any application from either people of Mangalore or from the authorities to this effect. It would be a shame if the old building was brought down for constructing a concrete monster in its place.”
Railway activist PV Mohan said: “I will appeal to the Union minister of state for railways, KH Muniyappa, to consider the station for a heritage station tag, but it is a long process and many organisations need to work together to make it a reality.”
As per norms to declare or reconstruct old stations into world-class stations, there has to be not less than 30 acres of land for the terminal building, which Mangalore Central does not have. But Mangalore Junction at Kankanady, 10km from the city, does have that acerage, but a world-class station there would defeat the purpose as that station does not have passenger activity.
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