Somanna calls for more greenery in Yeshwantpur, Cantt stations

Bengaluru: Minister of State for Railways V Somanna on Sunday instructed railway officials to incorporate more greenery within the Yeshwantpur and Bengaluru Cantonment station premises, which are undergoing massive redevelopment. 

Somanna, the Tumakuru MP who was previously an MLA from Bengaluru, reviewed the two projects in the presence of Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje, Bangalore Central MP PC Mohan and Shivajinagar MLA Rizwan Arshad. 

This was the first time he was reviewing the projects after taking office three weeks ago. 

Somanna called for expanding passenger resting areas and ensuring quality construction for timely completion of the work at Yeshwantpur, the second-busiest railway station in Karnataka. 

At Bengaluru Cantonment, Karnataka's oldest railway station, which opened in 1864, he emphasised the importance of preserving the heritage of the station building.  

The South Western Railway (SWR) stated that Mohan requested improvements to the parking facility, while Arshad sought the connection of the proposed metro station to the station entry. 

According to the SWR, Yeshwantpur Junction is being redeveloped at a cost of Rs 367 crore, while Bengaluru Cantonment is undergoing transformation for Rs 485 crore. 

As per the SWR, the two stations will become "new benchmarks in railway station infrastructure, enhancing passenger comfort, convenience, safety and to provide a comfortable waiting area for passengers, multi-level parking area, a play zone for children and a platform for local products to be showcased and sold, as both stations are elevated into a world-class facility connecting both sides of the station with dedicated entries and a spacious roof plaza". 

Somanna expressed satisfaction with the pace and quality of work, the SWR said. The deadline for both projects is 2025.