Track-doubling proposed on 3 routes

The Railway budget for 2015-16 has proposed track-doubling of three routes in South Western Railway at a total cost of 3,818 crore.

It has been proposed to take up doubling of track on Hubballi-Chikkajajur (estimated cost Rs 1,900 crore), Arasikere-Tumakuru (Rs 958 crore) and Yelahanka-Penukonda route (Rs 960 crore). High-speed trains would be run on Bengaluru-Mysuru-Jolarpet line. To begin with, the speed of the trains would be 130 km per hour and later, it would be increased to 160 kmph, said SWR General manager P K Saxena. He was addressing a press meet here on Thursday. This year’s budget has allocated Rs 1,307 crore for the South Western Railway as against Rs 1,284 crore last year. A sum of Rs 213 crore has been allocated for ongoing doubling works.

Wi-Fi facility

It has been proposed to provide Wi-Fi facility at all ‘A’ and ‘B’ category railway stations. Accordingly, passengers can look forward to utilising the Wi-Fi service at Yeshwantpur, KR Puram, Bengaluru Cantonment, Banaswadi, Hosur, Yelahanka, Bangarpet, Mandya, Kengeri, Hindupur and Tumakuru stations. The facility is already available at Bengaluru City railway station.

It has been planned to develop Baiyyappanahalli in Bengaluru as one among the 10 satellite terminals proposed in the budget, Saxena said.

Officials of the SWR said that track doubling and electrification of Mysuru-Bengaluru line were expected to be completed by August this year, except for a one-km stretch around Tipu’s armoury. The contract for shifting the armoury has been awarded to a US-based firm. Track doubling has been completed for 110 km of the 138-km stretch has already been doubled and 63km has been electrified between the two cities.

“Last year, the State government contributed around Rs 300 crore for railway projects worth Rs 650 crore. We are expecting almost the same amount this year also. We have not received any communication from the State government regarding its inability to share project costs,” Saxena said. A separate announcement is expected regarding the new trains, he added.