<p>Forget the promised travelator, authorities are now unlikely to build even a foot overbridge connecting the Cantonment metro and railway stations in Shivajinagar. </p>.<p>With the Urban Development Department (UDD) rejecting its Rs 41.36-crore proposal to acquire land and widen three approach roads, Namma Metro has shelved the plan to build a foot overbridge connecting the two stations, located about a kilometre apart. </p>.<p>It’s instead considering an electric vehicle service to shuttle commuters, when the 21.26-km Pink Line fully opens by December 2026. </p>.Despite feasibility debate, BMRCL to prepare DPR for Bengaluru-Tumakuru metro.<p>The Cantonment metro station’s location has been contentious. Initially planned right opposite the railway station, it was shifted nearly a kilometre away — to Abdul Bari’s School ground at Bamboo Bazaar — due to technical reasons. </p>.<p>Residents and mobility experts had criticised the move, saying it would make transfers between the two stations inconvenient. They pointed out that the Yeshwantpur metro station also remains unconnected to the railway station across the road. </p>.<p>Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) had promised to build an elevated travelator to compensate for the relocation of the Cantonment station. </p>.<p>The plan was later revised to a 200-metre pedestrian overbridge to connect the railway station platform at Netaji Road Junction and the metro station’s Entrance ‘C’, off Bamboo Bazaar Road, with escalators at both ends. </p>.<p>Two senior BMRCL officials with knowledge of the matter cited land acquisition and tree-cutting hurdles in widening the narrow approach roads for constructing the bridge. </p>.<p>“It is essential to widen these roads to build the FOB, but fund crunch is a hurdle,” a senior official said. “There are also safety concerns. The bridge will be considerably long with no midway ramps. Passengers with luggage may find it difficult to use.” </p>.<p>Shivajinagar MLA Rizwan Arshad said the BMRCL was “duty-bound” to build the FOB with escalators, as agreed in a meeting he had held. </p>.<p>“They can’t just build a metro station and ignore last-mile connectivity. Otherwise, ridership will suffer,” he told <span class="italic">DH</span>. </p>.<p>Bangalore Central MP, PC Mohan, echoed the concern, calling the connectivity the BMRCL’s “firm guarantee”. “The two stations must be connected,” he stated and promised to conduct an inspection to review the progress. </p>.<p>Meanwhile, the BMRCL is acquiring land at three places to improve access to the Cantonment metro station: a) 480 sqm, off Bamboo Bazaar Road; b) 218.674 sqm on Dhanakoti Road; and c) 332.104 sqm from Madeena Masjid. </p>.<p>“Preliminary land acquisition notifications have been issued,” one of the officials said. </p>
<p>Forget the promised travelator, authorities are now unlikely to build even a foot overbridge connecting the Cantonment metro and railway stations in Shivajinagar. </p>.<p>With the Urban Development Department (UDD) rejecting its Rs 41.36-crore proposal to acquire land and widen three approach roads, Namma Metro has shelved the plan to build a foot overbridge connecting the two stations, located about a kilometre apart. </p>.<p>It’s instead considering an electric vehicle service to shuttle commuters, when the 21.26-km Pink Line fully opens by December 2026. </p>.Despite feasibility debate, BMRCL to prepare DPR for Bengaluru-Tumakuru metro.<p>The Cantonment metro station’s location has been contentious. Initially planned right opposite the railway station, it was shifted nearly a kilometre away — to Abdul Bari’s School ground at Bamboo Bazaar — due to technical reasons. </p>.<p>Residents and mobility experts had criticised the move, saying it would make transfers between the two stations inconvenient. They pointed out that the Yeshwantpur metro station also remains unconnected to the railway station across the road. </p>.<p>Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) had promised to build an elevated travelator to compensate for the relocation of the Cantonment station. </p>.<p>The plan was later revised to a 200-metre pedestrian overbridge to connect the railway station platform at Netaji Road Junction and the metro station’s Entrance ‘C’, off Bamboo Bazaar Road, with escalators at both ends. </p>.<p>Two senior BMRCL officials with knowledge of the matter cited land acquisition and tree-cutting hurdles in widening the narrow approach roads for constructing the bridge. </p>.<p>“It is essential to widen these roads to build the FOB, but fund crunch is a hurdle,” a senior official said. “There are also safety concerns. The bridge will be considerably long with no midway ramps. Passengers with luggage may find it difficult to use.” </p>.<p>Shivajinagar MLA Rizwan Arshad said the BMRCL was “duty-bound” to build the FOB with escalators, as agreed in a meeting he had held. </p>.<p>“They can’t just build a metro station and ignore last-mile connectivity. Otherwise, ridership will suffer,” he told <span class="italic">DH</span>. </p>.<p>Bangalore Central MP, PC Mohan, echoed the concern, calling the connectivity the BMRCL’s “firm guarantee”. “The two stations must be connected,” he stated and promised to conduct an inspection to review the progress. </p>.<p>Meanwhile, the BMRCL is acquiring land at three places to improve access to the Cantonment metro station: a) 480 sqm, off Bamboo Bazaar Road; b) 218.674 sqm on Dhanakoti Road; and c) 332.104 sqm from Madeena Masjid. </p>.<p>“Preliminary land acquisition notifications have been issued,” one of the officials said. </p>