Puttur-Subrahmanya Railway Customers’ Affiliation has lent its help to passengers requesting Indian Railways to develop a full-fledged railway station in Kaniyooru city, in Kadaba taluk of Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka, by relocating the present halt station about 1 km to the east at Yeladka.

Kaniyooru on the Manjeshwar-Puttur-Subrahmanya State Freeway is the pivot for about 25 villages in Sullia, Kadaba and Puttur taluks, together with Belandooru, Savanooru, Bellare, Kalmadka, Balila, Ninthikallu and Charvaka. Growing a full-fledged station abutting the State Freeway would serve a big populace, in keeping with the affiliation.

Meter gauge interval

Affiliation member Shankar Kalmadka mentioned, “Kaniyooru had industrial halts for all passenger trains between Bengaluru and Mangaluru throughout the meter gauge-era. Upon conversion to broad gauge, it turned a halt station the place solely the Mangaluru Central-Subrahmanya Highway Passenger halts. The practice makes three spherical journeys a day.”

Mr. Kalmadka mentioned the present station infrastructure is grossly insufficient for passengers whereas the ticket issuing agent makes use of an umbrella throughout rain to hold out the duty. The station can accommodate trains with solely 9 coaches. “It can’t be developed as a full-fledged station due to house constraints, because the station is positioned in between Kaniyooru river and a Railway Over Bridge,” he mentioned.

Proposal at Yeladka

Responding to public demand, Sullia MLA Bhagirathi Murulya wrote to Dakshina Kannada MP Captain Brijesh Chowta and the South Western Railway demanding relocation of the station to Yeladka.

“It was additionally the instructed location for a junction on the brand new Kaniyooru-Kanhangad line,” mentioned B. Shreekara, one other member of the Affiliation.

When Capt. Chowta wrote to the Railway Ministry, the SWR responded that the proposed location, between Km 117/564 and 118/450, had a gradient of 1 in 150, and isn’t appropriate for a station.

Nonetheless, Mr. Kalmadka and Mr. Shreekara identified that the placement proposed by the Affiliation is at Km 118/700, and the SWR might need erred whereas conducting the survey.

They mentioned railway engineers had recognized Yeladka, abutting the SH, as a great website for establishing a serious junction sooner or later. The placement is relatively flatter, and gives ample house for infrastructure and sturdy passenger facilities.

A senior SWR official mentioned the zone will search a recent opinion on the station’s location from Mysuru division.