Metro on track to link with railways, seamlessly

The Majestic area will be ever more majestic in a few years with multi-modal transport systems coming together to for commuter convenience. Getting from one station to the other will also become a breeze.  

While a passenger may have to walk about 5 minutes from the Kempegowda bus station to reach the railway station, in order to reduce the distance and to make sure that passengers have a hassle-free journey, the South Western Railways (SWR) plans to widen the road towards Khoday’s Circle to accommodate one-way flow of buses.

“The buses can enter from Khoday’s Circle, drop commuters right in front of the station, and exit through the main exit gates,” said S Mani, divisional railway manager.

Another option that the railways is considering is opening a bus bay within the station premises itself, so that it is simpler for passengers to board and exit buses that stop at the station, he added.

Apart from this, SWR is also in talks with the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) for connecting its underground stations with the city railway station.

“One ambitious project that we are discussing with the BMRCL is the overhead travelator connecting the Metro station and city railway station,” said S Mani.

The travelator will be constructed about 5-10 metres above the ground level of the Metro station, according to a railway official. “We are in the final stages of talks with the BMRCL. While the BMRCL will bear the cost of the project, since it is beneficial to both of us, we will not be charging for the land usage,” said the official.

Commuter Rail: Reality in the near future?

Commuter Rail may no longer be a project that Bangaloreans dream and crave for. With the Rail India Technical and Economical Services (RITES) submitting a draft report to DULT a few weeks ago, S Mani, divisional railway manager said that when it comes to commuter rail, “We are no longer talking in the air.”
“Although the infrastructure of Bangalore has not really kept to the times, this is improving now. We have always maintained that a professional report with regard to commuter rail services in the city needs to be done before it can be seriously considered. The state government took cognisance of our demand and asked RITES to do a report, which has been submitted to the DULT,” he said.
Mani added that in a discussion with the DULT, RITES and officials in the infrastructure department, the report was discussed and a few suggestions were extended. “These will be added into the report and it will be resubmitted in a few weeks to the DULT,” he said.
“Once the module for investment is ascertained, and a government approval received, we can begin services. This should take about 2-2.5 years,” he said.