Trains currently originating from Mangaluru, including services to Thiruvananthapuram, will come under the Mysuru division. This could leave Palakkad as a division without a train originating from within its jurisdiction, says Leader of the Opposition in Keralam Pinarayi Vijayan
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Leader of the Opposition in Keralam Pinarayi Vijayan has termed Railways’ decision to remove important areas, including Mangaluru, from the Palakkad division a grave injustice to Kerala.Terming the move as a severe neglect by the Union government and Railways towards Keralam, he said in a statement on Saturday (August 22, 2026) that the bifurcation was expected to reduce the Palakkad division’s revenue by up to 60%. The State government and MPs from the State should exert immediate pressure on the Union government to review the decision, he said.Goods to the tune of ₹625 crore were handled through the Panambur Goods Yard in the previous financial year and the Palakkad division would now lose this revenue. Besides, trains currently originating from Mangaluru, including services to Thiruvananthapuram, would come under the Mysuru division. This could leave Palakkad as a division without a train originating from within its jurisdiction, Mr. Vijayan said.‘New trains will be denied’The move came shortly after it became clear that the coach factory proposed at Kanjikode in Palakkad would not be implemented. The Centre had also not approved Kerala’s demand for a high-speed railway line. There was a further move to restrict Kerala to the Thiruvananthapuram division, he alleged. As a result, the State could be denied new trains on the grounds of low revenue, he said.With Mangaluru-based services coming under the Mysuru division, decisions on the timings of trains, including those to Thiruvananthapuram, would also be taken there. This could have serious implications for Kerala, particularly the Malabar region, Mr. Vijayan said. He urged the Chief Minister and the State government to intervene more effectively and called for the MPs from the State to unite against the decision.Serious challenge: VenugopalAll India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal also strongly protested the Railway Board’s decision, saying he had met the Union Railway Minister and informed him that MPs from Keralam would launch a strong protest against the move. The Railway Minister had promised that an urgent report would be sought on the proposed reorganisation, Mr. Venugopal said. He also called on the Southern Railway General Manager, who arrived in Alappuzha on Saturday, and conveyed his protest.The loss of Mangaluru Central, Kerala’s main northern terminus for long-distance services, could pose serious challenges for train scheduling, platform allocation, and maintenance, and affect the allocation of new services to the Malabar region, he said. “We demand that Railways urgently review its decision and retain Mangaluru as an integral part of the Palakkad division,” Mr. Venugopal said. Published - August 22, 2026 08:05 pm IST
