There has been a political conflict between Karnataka and Kerala regarding the move by the Railway Board to shift the Mangaluru railway zone from the Palakkad Division of the Southern Railway to the Mysuru Division of the South Western Railway. This change will include the area up to Ullal and will come into effect on October 1, 2026.
This move is welcomed by the state of Karnataka since it caters to their demand that has been there for more than two decades now. According to the leaders of the state, activists, and the railway passengers of coastal Karnataka, bringing the Mangaluru zone into the Mysuru Division will help in ensuring better management of services and infrastructure development in line with their plans. The South Western Railway has mentioned that the move is taken to ensure operational convenience and coordination in the Mangaluru and coastal ghat zones.
However, all the political parties of the state of Kerala are opposing the decision of the Railway Board since the removal of the Mangaluru railway zone will affect the financial condition and importance of the Palakkad Division. UDF MPs believe that the division may stand to lose about ₹1,000 crore to ₹1,100 crore annually due to the decision. Besides, they are upset at the Railway Board for not consulting them before making such an important decision.
Protests have erupted, with Kerala MPs insisting on suspending the order till consultations take place. The leaders of Karnataka have appealed to their government and MPs to back their position and consider it as a belated measure and not one against Kerala. (NDTV)
The South Western Railway has tried to resolve the matter raised by Kerala by asserting that no station lying within Kerala is being moved. Besides, railway development is done according to the needs of the network and not according to the income generated by the division alone.
This issue is, in fact, a political issue which lies beneath the administrative change. For resolving the conflict, there is a need for the Railway Board to make the operational benefits clear to the state of Kerala while assuring that the Palakkad division is not ignored.
