Mysore industrialists seek more rail connectivity

Want early completion of the Mysore-Madikeri railway line, sanctioning of the Mysore-Neelambur railway line and the long-pending Chamarajanagar-Mettupalayam railway link

Industry organisations in Mysore have urged for better rail connectivity to improve trade and develop the region and the state, in a memorandum to Railway Minister D V Sadananda Gowda here at the weekend.

They have urged for early completion of the Mysore-Madikeri railway line, sanctioning of the Mysore-Neelambur railway line via Sultan Battery and the long-pending Chamarajanagar-Mettupalayam railway link.

They memorandum also urged for early completion of the track-doubling work between Mysore and Bangalore in order to cut travel time. Gowda's predecessor Muniyappa had announced introduction of a bullet train between the two cities by mid-December 2014. Although this proposal is not mentioned in the latest budget, efforts should be made to fulfill the promise, it said.

The other requirements of the region included extending the Udyan Express, Karnataka Express and Ajmer, Jaipur Express services to Mysore daily and a change in the timings of Mysore-Mangalore train. Nearly 100,000 people travel daily between Mysore and Mangalore. They need better connectivity so that the train reaches Mysore at 9 am. The departure from Mangalore should be changed to 10:30 pm from the present 00.30 am, the minister was told.

Hoping for a radical change in the Railways, the MCCI representative at the Federation of Karnataka Chamber of Commerce & Industries Sudhakar S Shetty told the minister that the Mysore-Madikeri line will help coffee growers, boost tourism and employment opportunities in the region.

The Mysore-Neelambur railway line via Sultan Battery will link Karnataka with Kerala and benefit farmers, trade and tourism, and open up more job opportunities. The reserved tiger forest lying in this stretch will not be disturbed if the nine km line is built as per the public-private participation model proposed earlier. People will be able to travel to and from Kerala to Mysore within two hours.

Also buttressing the long pending demand for a Chamarajanagar-Mettupalayam link, Shetty said political will was required to resolve environment clearances required for the project.

Another major demand made by office-bearers of the MCCI, Mysore Industries Association (MIA) and Nanjangud Industries Association (NIA) was to operate the Udayan Express to Mysore daily as it will benefit Mysore and Mumbai commuters and boost trade between the two cities. The Railways can think of introducing cold storage facility enroute.

The NIA wanted introduction of diesel multiple units on the Mysore-Nanjangud-Chamarajanagar section on account of the increasing passenger traffic. Pleading for early construction of a subway at the Mysore station, it also sought increasing the length of platform numbers 2 and 3 and connecting platform 5 and 6 with the mainline.

MIA General Secretary Suresh Kumar Jain said meeting of zonal and divisional railway consultative committees once in three months would help the officers to understand problems faced by stakeholders and resolve them in a speedy manner. It would also enhance customer-friendly approach to the users of railway services.