Minister of State (MoS) for Railways V. Somanna on Friday said the Union government had taken a “historic” decision to fulfil the long-standing demand of the public and rail passengers of coastal Karnataka by bringing the Mangaluru railway region under the South Western Railway (SWR).In a statement, the MoS made it clear that one of his top priorities was to resolve the administrative confusion in the Mangaluru region immediately after taking charge. In this context, Mangaluru was one of the first cities he visited, having been there in July 2024 to hold a high-level meeting with the General Managers of the Southern Railway (SR) and South Western Railway (SWR) and the chairman and managing director of the Konkan Railway Corporation Limited (KRCL). In-depth discussions were held in that meeting to find a permanent solution to the complex problem that had remained unresolved for years.He expressed special gratitude to Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw for his immediate response and approval of the proposal prepared in the interest of the public.Mr. Somanna said the inclusion of the Mangaluru region in the SWR would eliminate administrative hurdles, ensure speedy redressal of public grievances and give new impetus to the development of railway infrastructure and connectivity in the coastal region. Published - August 21, 2026 10:34 pm IST