9 new trains for State

9 new trains for State
New Delhi, Feb 24, DHNS:

This year’s Railway Budget has given approval to most of the projects proposed by Karnataka.

A wheel design, development and testing centre at the Wheel Factory in Yelahanka, Bangalore, nine new long-distance trains, a non-stop train from Yeshwantpur to Delhi, three Bharat Tirth trains and three passenger suburban trains are among the important projects for Karnataka announced in the Railway Budget.

Rs 1,200 cr earmarked for railway projects this year

New Delhi, Feb 24, DHNS: Karnataka may not have too much to complain about this year’s Railway Budget as most of the projects proposed by the State Government have been given approval.

A wheel design, development and testing centre at the Wheel Factory in Yelahanka in Bangalore, nine new long distance trains including a Duranto, a non-stop train from Yeshwantpur to Delhi, three Bharat Tirth trains, three passenger suburban trains, construction of new railway line between Bagalkot and Kudachi are among the important projects for Karnataka announced in the Railway Budget.

With the long term plan of achieving self sufficiency, the design centre will be set up at the existing railway wheel factory at Yelahanka, Banerjee said in her speech. This year, the State will receive Rs 1,200 crore for various projects and the ministry has approved the Karnataka Government’s proposal to share 50 per cent of the project cost.

As much as Rs 544 crore has been allotted for the construction of new lines, an amount of Rs 86 crore is earmarked for gauge conversion and Rs 25 crore will be spent for doubling of lanes.

Apart from this, another Rs 32 crore has been allocated for building 14 railway overbridges or underbridges in Bangalore city and other places. For the first time in recent history, survey for 12 new lines will be conducted, which includes connecting popular pilgrim places Sringeri, Moodbidri, Dharmastala and Kollur.

The approval for a new line between Bagalkot and Kudachi, which is long pending, will be a major relief to the people from this region. The survey of the project was completed almost two decades ago and it was also found that the route was commercially viable with a 19 per cent of return against the national average of 14 per cent.

Woe redressal

By announcing the doubling of lanes between Hosdurga road to Chikjajur and Hospet-Hubli-Londa-Vasco-De-Gama, the railway minister has addressed some major woes of mining companies who have been demanding the implementation of this project to ensure hassle-free transportation of iron ore to ports.

Minister of State for Railway K H Muniyappa, who complained to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh against his senior colleague for not allotting sufficient works to him, has expressed happiness over the projects sanctioned to the State.

“Mamata Banerjee has approved 90 per cent of the proposal submitted by the Karnataka except extension of the Bangalore-Mangalore train to Karwar and Bangalore to Kachiguda (Andhra Pradesh). These two proposals will be implemented in the coming days”, he said.