152-km-long new tracks across State will be operational soon, says SWR

 General Manager of South Western Railway, P K Saxena, said here on Tuesday, that the 152 km-long new railway track across the State will soon be operational. Of this, 76 km track includes new lanes, while the remaining 76 km track form a part of the doubling works.

Saxena was in the City to inaugurate an exhibition displaying SWR Bengaluru division’s last year achievements and also, the inauguraiton of a ladies’ dormitory at the city railway station.

Speaking with mediapersons, he said, budgetary allocation of Rs 247.7 crore and Rs 294.8 crore, respectively, has been made for 76 km new lines and doubling of 76 km lines. Last year, 51 km-long new tracks and 38 km of doubling works were commissioned.
Focus will be on creating new routes and expanding network. In next five years, doubling of lines in four places have been proposed.

These include - Yelahanka-Penukonda, spanning a length of 120.55 km, 190 km-long Hubbali-Chikkajajur, 96 km-long Arsikere-Tumakuru and 186 km-long Miraj-Londa stretch. External loans have been granted for the completing these works.

Saxena said awareness will be created among passengers and transporters with regards to the cleanliness drive which will be taken up till June 9. A total of 9,000 bio-toilets have been installed in trains in the last one year. Of the 2,200 bogies in SWR, 325 have been fit with bio-toilets. By 2021, all bogies will be fit with bio-toilets. While, the Tumakuru city railway station will be modernised at an estimated cost of Rs 5.5 crore.He said Rs 84 crore has been allocated to SWR for providing better passenger amenities in this year’s railway budget. “Of this, Rs 35 crore has been allocated to Bengaluru division and projects worth Rs 12 crore will be taken up in the Bengaluru city railway station and the cantonment railway station,” he said.

Saxena said SWR carried 190 million passengers earning Rs 1,921 crore and loaded 37.50 million tonnes of freight, yielding Rs 3,383 crore in 2014-15.

Sunanda Arul, Additional Divisional Railway Manager, said a 16-bed dormitory for women had been set up at the city railway station at a cost of Rs 20 lakh. The dormitory will have separate locker facility and toilets. Charges will be Rs 200 per day and Rs 125 for 12 hours and they can be booked online, she said.