A COAST WAITING FOR CONNECTIVITY

 Coastal Karnataka stands at a paradoxical crossroads. It is one of India’s most industrious and outward-looking regions, yet it continues to wait for infrastructure that matches its economic contribution and strategic importance. The demands now being raised—for an expressway between the state capital and the coast, faster and modern train services now that full electrification of the ghat section has taken place, and a widened coastal highway—are neither extravagant nor premature. They are overdue.

Movement between Bengaluru and the coastal belt remains slow, uncertain, and costly. Despite decades of growth in trade, tourism, education, and healthcare, the road link continues to rely on narrow, congested stretches that choke both passenger traffic and freight. An expressway on the lines of the Delhi–Agra corridor is no longer a luxury but a necessity. Efficient road connectivity would cut travel time, improve safety, and integrate the hinterland with port towns that serve as gateways to national and international markets.

Railways present an equally compelling case. With electrification of the ghat route completed, the logic of upgrading services becomes unassailable. Introducing Vande Bharat and other high-speed trains between Bengaluru and Mangaluru would transform mobility, enabling faster business travel, boosting tourism, and strengthening port-led logistics. Mangaluru already enjoys rail links to almost every region of the country and hosts an international airport. Treating it as a secondary node in rail modernisation defies both geography and economics.

Along the coast itself, the call for a 10-lane road between Mangaluru and Karwar reflects lived reality. The existing four-lane highway is overwhelmed by rising traffic, frequent bottlenecks, and safety concerns. Expanding this corridor would connect ports, fisheries, industrial zones, and tourism centres into a single economic spine, unlocking growth across the coastal stretch.

What makes this neglect harder to justify is the region’s record. Coastal Karnataka has given India some of its largest banks, helped build the country’s hospitality industry, and earned national recognition for its hospitals and professional institutions. Its people are entrepreneurs, professionals, and migrants who contribute far beyond regional boundaries.

The railway portfolio lies with Ashwini Vaishnaw and road transport with Nitin Gadkari—two ministers known for ambition and execution. MPs from the coastal districts have already made representations. Silence cannot be the final answer. Infrastructure shapes destiny, and delaying these decisions means stalling a region brimming with potential.

This is a moment for administrators, elected representatives, and citizens to speak in one voice. Investing in coastal connectivity is not a regional favour; it is a national gain. The coast has waited long enough.