Unaware of subway, commuters crowd narrow staircase

Rail passengers wait endlessly to use foot overbridge

Exhausted passengers waiting to head home after an arduous train journey have to endure agonising moments trying to get out of the Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna (KSR) railway station in the city.

Unaware of the alternative exits, passengers jostle for space on the narrow stairway on the platforms to take the foot overbridge across the rail lines.

The congestion is particularly severe during peak hours in the morning and evening as several trains arrive and depart. The problem escalates during holiday seasons, particularly during festivals. Passengers take at least 10 minutes just to climb the narrow, five-metre-long staircase to reach the bridge that extends from platform 1 to 10.

The bridge also narrows down between platforms 9 and 10. The problem aggravates when metro passengers are also allowed on to the same bridge to enter the station.
Passengers tend to rush to the foot bridge since it is the first thing that is visible as they alight from the trains. Ramesh Gowda, a regular commuter, told Deccan Herald that he has missed trains in the past as he could not reach platform 10 from where trains depart to Mysuru. The railways should at least deploy staff or place signages directing passengers towards all available exits for better crowd management, he says.

Passengers also want the staircase widened.

A railway official said passengers seldom heed on their advice to use alternative exits to reach the platforms and also to go out of the station.

Senior Divisional Commercial Manager, Bengaluru Division, Sridhar Murthy, said alternatives like the subway, escalators and elevators are available and advised the people to use them. While there are escalators on platforms 1, 4 and 5, passengers can use lifts on platforms 1,2,3, 5, 6, 7 and 8.

Beat the crowd
All the 10 platforms are connected by the subway which has openings in the middle of each platform. Passengers can also take the alternative entrance to the station from the Okalipuram side.