Mangaluru: Nalin Kumar Kateel, Member of Parliament on Saturday promised to upgrade Mangaluru Junction Railway Station to a world class station, which will be developed in 100 acres of land.

Briefing the reporters in the city, he said the 63 acres of land available with the Railways at the station would be utilized to develop world class facilities. In the first phase of the programme, work will start on the 25-acre open land.

Kateel said Mangaluru Junction would be one among the five railway stations in the State to be developed as a world class station. There will be internet kiosks, better passenger amenities, a shopping complex and six additional railway lines. “This will certainly bring a drastic change in the area near the Station. It will be better connected to the city,” he said.

The world class railway station was proposed to be established on the public-private partnership mode at a cost of Rs. 300 crore. The work of surveying the extent of railway land at the Mangaluru Junction railway station would start shortly, he said.

On the establishment of a separate Mangaluru Railway Division, Nalin Kumar Kateel said ‘technical reasons’ are stopping them as Phalghat, Mysuru and Konkan railways are part of the Mangaluru Railway Station. We will create a separate division in five years, he said.

He promised to complete the construction of Jeppu-Kudpadi over bridge by June, 2015. Besides, he said an over bridge at Haleyangadi will come up at an estimated cost of Rs 4.56 crore with the funds from State and Union government.