Malleswaram Rly station, Cinderella of Bangalore

Malleswaram Rly station, Cinderella of Bangalore
Wednesday October 3 2007 08:43 IST

ASHWINI M SRIPAD

BANGALORE: It has a grey, forlorn look. Just a few kilometres away from the core of the city is Malleswaram Railway Station which is bereft of basic amenities.

Built during the Raj in the 1940s, the station has two platforms. It had everything those days. But over the years, nothing much was added to give comfort and convenience to the travelling public, except for a new building which came up in 1989 and some renovation in 2005.

Locals bemoan the Railway apathy. The government, they point out, spends millions on making the city station, but has done precious little to add to a station that has catered to several generations.

The station does not have an electronic display board, proper lighting or for that matter, good toilets. Both sides of railway track have been used as dumping grounds.

As the toilets are kept locked, the urinals are used by those in emergency and the whole area stinks. There is a foot overbridge constructed in 1975 which serves anybody but the passengers. Raghavendra, a college student, pointed out that the overbridge does not connect the platforms.

‘‘It connects the roads on either side of the station,’’ he said. And for the authorities, the station does not have a station master.

V Krishna Murthy, a senior citizen, said passengers have no clue as to which train would stop at what platform. The station functionaries wait till the last moment before announcing the information, causing a mad rush and making life miserable for children and elders.

Jayaram, another senior citizen, said power to the station was disconnected a few months ago, and it has not been restored.

Trains, including the Bangalore City-Hubli passenger, Bangalore City- Chitradurga passenger, Bangalore City Arsikere passenger, and the Bangalore city-Hindupura passenger, stop for one minute at the railway station.

Most Express trains do not halt here. Nagendra, a businessman, said: ‘‘I stay at Kamalanagar next to Malleswaram.

Boarding a train at the City station is a waste of time and money. The Railway Department must make provision for a train halt here,’’he says.