Plan for two more rail terminals: Minister

Plan for two more rail terminals: Minister

Staff Reporter
‘This has to be done keeping in mind the city’s growth’
Work on two RUBs at Kengeri to commence

in January

Minister reviews BBMP’s proposed

integrated traffic plan near Okalipuram

BANGALORE: Minister of State for Railways K.H. Muniyappa on Friday asked planners to aim for two more railway terminals for Bangalore city along with the proposed terminals at Bangalore City Railway Station and Byappanahalli Railway Station.

His suggestion came during a meeting of South Western Railway (SWR), State Government and Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) officials here on Friday. “Plans should be made now keeping in mind the future growth of traffic for at least the next 50 years,” he said.

The Minister reviewed the BBMP’s proposed integrated traffic plan near Okalipuram to facilitate the Railway’s development plans for the Bangalore City Station.

He advised the BBMP and SWR to submit revised proposals for rail over-bridges (ROBs) and rail under-bridges (RUBs) within a month so as to include them in the supplementary Railway Budget as “out-of-turn works.”

The BBMP has proposed 32 ROBs/RUBs, of which 11 have been sanctioned on a cost-sharing basis between SWR and the State Government.

The Minister advised the BBMP to deposit enough funds with the Railways so that construction could immediately follow the sanction.

V. Madhu, Principal Secretary (Infrastructure Development), proposed that a revolving fund be kept with the Railways. Once the fund was exhausted, additional money could be deposited, he said. Earlier, inaugurating the model railway station at Kengeri here, Mr. Muniyappa said work on two RUBs at Kengeri would commence in January.

He was responding to the demands of jurisdictional Lok Sabha member (Bangalore North) D.B. Chandre Gowda and Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Shobha Karandlaje, who represents Yeshwanthpur in the Legislative Assembly.

Train halts
Both demanded stoppage of all trains, except the Shatabdi, passing through Kengeri at Kengeri Railway Station. “There is no logic in forcing people to travel all the way from Kengeri to Bangalore city station to board a train that passes through Kengeri,” Mr. Gowda said. Mr. Muniyappa said steps had been taken to make the Yeshwanthpur-Mysore and Tipu Express trains halt there. He would push for a halt of the Yeshwanthpur-Mangalore train too.