City deprived of new train services for want of overpass

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE, JULY 3. Mr. B.Krishnakumar, Divisional Railway Manager, Southern Railway, Bangalore, said today that the Railways could not start new train services to Bangalore from other States because of the delay on the part of the State Government in sharing the cost of an overpass to be built near Lingarajapuram in the City.

Speaking to presspersons after flagging off the Yeshwanthpur- Vasco Biweekly Express here, Mr. Krishnakumar expressed concern over the delay in the construction of the overpass.

He said a railway line between Yeshwanthpur and Byappanahalli had already been laid at a cost of Rs. 20 crores. But trains could not be run on the track because of protests by people in support of an overpass near Lingarajapuram.

New trains on the Salem-Yeshwanthpur-Hubli line could not be started because of the delay in the construction of the overpass. It had also affected the Yeshwanthpur-Salem line. The Pune- Ernakulam Express, which was supposed to run via Yeshwanthpur, would now run on the Konkan railway line, he added.

However, the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) had agreed to provide 50 per cent of the cost of the overpass, and tenders had been invited for work on it. People of Lingarajapurm had agreed to allow night trains once the railways started work on the overpass, he said.

Railway terminal

He said the railway terminal at Yeshwanthpur would become fully operational by January 1, 2002. The Yeshwanthpur-Vasco Express would start operating from the new terminal shortly.

The Railways had earmarked Rs. 17 crores for the terminal, and Rs. 3.5 crores had already been released. Facilities such as station building, pedestrian overpass and one pit line would be provided. The pit line would be ready by December and the Yeshwanthpur-Howrah Express would be flagged off on January 1, he said.

As per the plan, two pit lines would be constructed at the terminal. Each line would maintain three long route trains. Once the lines were ready, six trains could be operated from Yeshwanthpur. The plan envisaged construction of two more pit lines. However, introduction of new trains depended on the construction of the overpass, he added.

Mr. Krishnakumar said the entrance to the new terminal would be from the NH 4. A proposal had been submitted to the State Government urging it to allow the land in front of the terminal for a bus-bay to be used by the BMTC.

Proposals had also been submitted to the Southern Railway Headquarters to allow trains such as Rani Chennamma Express, Bangalore-Hubli Inter-City Express and Swarna Jaynthi Express to stop at Yeshwanthpur, he added.

He said the terminal at Yeshwanthpur had to be developed into a full-fledged railway station as the Bangalore City Railway Station could not be expanded further.

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