Stand-off b/w public, authorities delays upgradation of KR Puram railway station

Stand-off b/w public, authorities delays upgradation of KR Puram railway station
S Lalitha, Bangalore, Dec 1, DHNS:

Krishnarajapuram railway station in the City poses a peculiar problem for passengers.


As two of its four platforms fall short of the full length of trains, passengers from the far end of the coaches who want to disembark here need to alight on the space between railway tracks along with their luggage or walk into any of the coaches that has access to the platform and disembark from them. However, efforts by Railways to extend the platforms have failed miserably due to stiff resistance from the localites.

Altogether, 22 pairs of trains pass through the station on a daily basis and most of them have only a two-minute stoppage here.

Short in length

Platforms Three and Four, along whose tracks most of the trains returning to the City pass through, are quite short in length. Extension of these two platforms to accommodate the length of the train is a key area identified by the Railways to upgrade the station.

The solution identified is to demolish the unused Road Over Bridge (ROB), which blocks the extension of the platforms. While the approach roads on either side of the ROB, which connects Vijinapura and Ring Road, were demolished years ago, the bridge still stands as the public are not permitting the Railways to bring it down.

“The fifth such attempt made by Railways recently to demolish the bridge came to nought, following strong protests from localites,” said a railway officer. The public are sore about the cable bridge constructed here nearly eight years ago following which the approach roads of the old bridge were demolished. They insist that they would permit Railways to demolish the old bridge only if the commutation problems they faced due to the cable bridge were redressed.

“It is an ordeal to travel from Vijinapura to Ring Road or Old Madras Road or to commute from ITPL to K R Puram due to the extra kilometres we need to traverse on the cable bridge,” states a localite Ganesh. The BBMP has offered a solution in the form of a Road Under Bridge (RUB), extending to a width of 12 metres below the cable bridge. It will fund the project, which works out to nearly Rs three crore, while Railways would execute the job.

However, the localites are apprehensive about it. “First, let the Railways build the promised RUB at a nearby location, then we will permit the dismantling of this unused bridge,” says Ganesh.

Big plans

There are big plans to upgrade the K R Puram station and they are getting delayed considerably due to the belligerent stance adopted by the localites, said a top railway source. A BBMP official laid the blame at the door of the Railways.

“We have already asked the Railways to utilise money from the revolving fund handed over to them for work related to the RUB. Railways is delaying it,” he charged.

K R Puram MLA Nandeesh Reddy offers two alternatives: the demolished approach roads of the old bridge need to be rebuilt urgently and the bridge upgraded or the new RUB has to be in place before the old bridge is demolished.