Karnataka - Bangalore

Rail projects yet to gather full steam

BANGALORE: While four new trains, extension of two trains and increase in frequency of seven trains as announced in the Railway Budget 2007-08 have become a happy reality for railway passengers of Karnataka, a reality check before the forthcoming budget reveals that a majority of the 12 projects — ongoing and new — announced by the Railway Minister have not reached their full steam.

The year 2007-08 also saw some satisfaction over the long-awaited introduction of a passenger train between Bangalore and Mangalore and a few controversies, including the Group D recruitment in South Western Railway (SWR) and damage to Railway property over Mr. Lalu Prasad’s purported statement against Kannadigas.

Budget announcements on new trains, Bijapur-Bagalkot Express, Yeshwanthpur-Chennai Weekly Express, Sholapur-Bagalkot Express and Yeshwanthpur-Secunderabad Garib Rath, extension of Tirupati-Guntakal Passenger to Hubli and Ajmer-Bangalore Express to Mysore and increase in frequency of Miraj-Belgaum Passenger (daily), Thiruvananthapuram-Mangalore Maveli Express (daily), Hatia-Yeshwanthpur Express (bi-weekly), Patna-Bangalore Express (daily), Yeshwanthpur- Kannur Express (tri-weekly) and Bangalore-Kochuvelli Express (tri-weekly), have been carried out. However, the passenger train between Yeshwanthpur-Mangalore via Arsikere announced in the 2006-07 Budget is yet to be introduced.

While the Railways was quick enough in carrying out promises on train services, the same alacrity was absent in completing the projects. Even though Railway Minister Lalu Prasad had promised priority to projects co-funded by respective State governments, projects co-funded by Karnataka, including the Bangalore-Mysore line doubling, Shimoga-Talaguppa gauge conversion, new lines between Kottur and Harihar, Gulbarga and Bidar and Munirabad and Mehaboobnagar, are yet to pick up speed.

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