Bengaluru airport halt station to be ready by August-end

The much-awaited halt station at the Kempegowda International Airport will finally become a reality by the end of August.

Speaking to reporters via video conference on Monday, Bengaluru Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) Ashok Kumar Verma said the station building, electrical works, circulating area, landscaping, platform shelter and other works had already been completed.

The railways had earlier set the March 2020 deadline for the project but the pandemic delayed it. The DRM has now promised that the project would not see any more delays. “The station will be ready for operations before the end of the month. Some of the minor works are remaining which can be completed along with operations,” he added.

To a question, Verma said the decision on running trains to the airport would be taken once the regular passenger train services resumed. He also said that the Baiyappanahalli terminal would be ready in November.

Twitter row over Hindi at rail stations

An answer posted on the Twitter handle of the Bengaluru DRM on the usage of Hindi at railway stations led to a short but heated debate on the micro-blogging site. When a Twitter user, @malayaliaticus, asked “Why Hindi in South India?”, the reply from the DRM was short: “Because it is India.” This triggered a debate with users taking both sides.

To a question, the DRM clarified that he was only replying to the requirement of Hindi. “As regards the use of Kannada, I have already given instructions for adding it in the signage,” he said and noted that the debate was “unnecessary” because the railways wasn’t denying information in Kannada.