No space, no suburban railway network: SWR chief

The expansion of Bengaluru’s suburban rail network is in doldrums and won’t be taken up anytime soon. Also, there is no timeline on the completion of the project, according to P K Saxena, general manager, South Western Railways (SWR).

He was speaking at a press conference at the SWR headquarters on Thursday.
Saxena listed out issues before the railways that needed to be resolved to take up the project. “We don’t have physical space to expand the suburban network. We need physical space and for this the State government has to make land available to us. Without space, we can’t take up the project,” he said.

He said there were a lot of legal issues the government would have to resolve. “Then there are technical issues which come up because of lack of space. The project is technically feasible provided all these issues are taken care of. Demolition of buildings have to be undertaken. There are difficult areas in which we have to work. All this comes within the government’s purview.”

He said in view of all these issues, the railways could not give a timeline on the completion of the project.

Line doubling
The official said the Bengaluru-Mysuru railway double line will be completed by mid-January.

The trains are running up to certain distances on the second line from the Bengaluru and Mysuru ends. There is an area of two kilometres that is left to be developed as the Tipu armoury is situated on that piece of land. Work, according to officials, has begun on shifting the armoury and will be completed soon.

The Hassan-Bengaluru line will be completed by March 2016, and by June 2016, the line will receive certification from the Commissioner of Railway Safety, after which it will be made ready for travel. The line is crucial for travel to Mangaluru from Bengaluru.

Crossings
The number of crossings in the State and division are also being gradually reduced. From 800 manned crossings, 400 have been eliminated this year, and of the 350 unmanned crossings, 80 are being eliminated. This work is being taken up steadily.

Work on the Whitefield station in Bengaluru will commence shortly. Member of Parliament P C Mohan has deposited Rs 1.75 crore towards the development of the station. Track and platform work will go on without waiting for grants to make it a world-class station.

It’s Sangolli Rayanna rail station
The Bengaluru City railway station will be named after freedom fighter Kranthi Veera Sangolli Rayanna.
The railway division received the order in this regard from the Home Ministry on Tuesday. A few months ago, the State government had written to the ministry seeking to change the name of the railway station. Any renaming has to be vetted by the Home Ministry, said a railway official.