Airport halt station to be ready by month end

The much-anticipated halt station at the Kempegowda International Airport will finally come true by the end of August with officials stating that the facility will be ready for operation by the end of the month.

Briefing the media via a video conference Bengaluru Divisional Railway Manager Ashok Kumar Verma said that the station building, electrical works, circulating area, landscaping, platform shelter and other works have already been completed.

The railways had fixed March 2020 as the deadline for the project but the Covid-19 crisis delayed the project. The DRM said the project will not see any more delays. "The station will be ready for operation even before the end of the month. Some of the minor works are remaining which can be completed along with operations," he said.

To a question, Verma said decisions on running trains to the airport will be taken once the regular operation of the passenger services resume.

The third coaching terminal in Byappanahalli will be completed in November, helping the railways to decongest the KSR Station and also introduce new trains without fear of congestion.
3.5 lakh travelled in Shramik trains

The SWR operated a total of 233 Shramik special trains, carrying 3.44 lakh passengers to Bihar, Odisha, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and other states. Rs 30.09 crore was collected as revenue. Officials said most of the fare was paid for by the state governments, including about Rs 15 crore deposited by Karnataka after it was criticised for failing to help the labourers.

"Except for Bihar and Odisha, fares of labourers travelling to other states were paid by the respective state governments. We were later told that the two states had taken steps to reimburse the labourers," an official said.