The Udupi district unit of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has expressed happiness that the Mangaluru railway region, currently divided between the Palakkad division of Southern Railway and the Mysuru division of South Western Railway (SWR), has been merged completely with the Mysuru division, fulfilling the demand of the people of the coastal districts.In a statement issued here, district BJP president Kuthyar Naveen Shetty said it was a historic step in terms of railway facilities not only for the people of Dakshina Kannada, but also for those in the neighbouring Udupi district. He said the change would eliminate administrative confusion in the Mangaluru region, improve coordination between departments, and lead to the quick disposal of passenger grievances, as well as the expansion of railway infrastructure and development of connectivity in the coastal area. He added that the inclusion would pave the way for merging the Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd. with the SWR in the coming days.In June 2024, after the NDA 3.0 government came to power, the MPs of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi-Chikkamagaluru, and Shivamogga had pressed the government to consider the issue on priority. The issue was brought to the attention of Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on several occasions, and was raised in all available parliamentary and institutional forums.On behalf of the people of the coast, the Udupi district BJP thanked Mr. Vaishnaw, Minister of State for Railways V. Somanna, and MPs Capt. Brijesh Chowta, Kota Srinivas Poojary, and B.Y. Raghavendra, Mr. Shetty said. Published - August 21, 2026 09:08 pm IST