Payyannur (Keralam): Southern Railway is constructing safety fencing along the tracks of the Mangaluru–Shoranur section and has floated tenders for two additional stretches.

The latest tenders cover 80 kilometres in the Koyilandy–Thalassery section and 70 kilometres in the Pazhayangadi–Bekal section. With this, the entire 307-kilometre Shoranur–Mangaluru route will be fully secured with safety fencing.

The measure is being implemented as part of upgrading train speeds to 130 km/h. Both sides of the railway tracks will feature safety fencing and boundary walls. Earlier, tenders were awarded in December 2025 for the Ottapalam–Kuttippuram (55 km) and Kuttippuram–Feroke (70 km) sections. In January this year, tenders were invited for the Bekal Fort–Mangaluru section (65 km).

In the first phase, fencing will be erected along a 530-kilometre stretch from Podanur to Mangaluru, for which ₹320 crore has been sanctioned. Across Southern Railway, fencing will be constructed along a total length of 827 kilometres.

A report by the Commissioner of Railway Safety had highlighted that cattle straying onto tracks posed a risk to the safety of Vande Bharat trains during collisions.

The fencing will also restrict unauthorised track crossing by the public. Fencing is currently being raised along major routes where the permissible speed exceeds 110 km/h.