Byappanahalli as a World Class Railway Station - a Terminus for Public Transportation

To-day's Times of India has carried out a news item "Station's Makeover Dreams on hold - Rlys Keep Byappanahalli Out of Pilot Project for World Class Facility". Keeping Shri Mallikarjuna Kharge as the Cabinet Railway Minister, how the Railways are bold enough neglected Byappanahalli railway station, which we dream to be a central place for public transportation in Bangalore.

Will the Hon'ble Minister of Railways look into the matter on top most priority for immediate action.

I am reproducing the media report for your reaction:

"Times of India, Bangalore Edition, 09.12.2013

Station’s Makeover Dreams on Hold

Rlys Keep Byappanahalli Out Of Pilot Project For World-Class Facility

by

Aparajita Ray TNN

Bangalore: The Railways’ grand plan to develop Byappanahalli station into a world-class facility has been put on hold. A proposal was made in the Railway Budget 2013-14, but Byappanahalli doesn’t figure in the new list of stations to be taken up for upgradation on a pilot basis.

    The Railway Board had set up a separate Railway Station Development Corporation to modernize stations as a base for intermodal transit hubs. The corporation selected Anand Vihar and Brijvasan in Delhi, Chandigarh, Habibganj in Bhopal and Shivaji Nagar in Pune for the pilot project, leaving Byappanahalli out, officials said.

    The upgradation of Byappanahalli station figures prominently in the plans of various civic agencies for a more-developed Bangalore. Namma Metro’s first depot and station shares walls and spaces with Byappanahalli railway station. A KSRTC satellite bus station is a stone’s throw away. This makes Byappanahalli a natural choice for an intermodal transit hub. At present, a foot overbridge is being constructed to link the Metro station to the railway platforms and the KSRTC bus stand.

    South Western Railway (SWR) has been pushing for upgrading Byappanahalli station. Its Bangalore division still hasn’t lost hope on the new look as railway minister Mallikarjun Kharge is from Karnataka.

    “If we can get the minister to take it up in the final proposal, then we’ll get funds. We need to construct four pit lines, add four more platforms and a coaching terminal to augment trains. All this should be enough to cater to railway passengers of the entire city for the next 20-25 years,” said Anil Kumar Agarwal, divisional railway manager, Bangalore division of SWR.

    Officials said the railways has 80 acres of land in Byappanahalli for accommodating the upgraded amenities. Agarwal said a minimum of Rs 100-150 crore will be needed to modernize Byappanahalli.

WHAT IT ENTAILS

 
    If chosen, a whopping Rs 500 crore will be provided for developing not only Byappanahalli but also 100 acres of land around it. The project will would include provision of multi-entry/exits, concourse, modernization of existing platforms and amenities, commercial complex, inter--modal transit connectivity, high-quality catering facilities and hotels, among other things. The development will be a public-private partnership endeavour. When plan started:

Byappanahalli figured in the Railways’ ambitious plans for the first time in 2009 when Vision 2020 named it among the 50 stations that were to be modernized as per world standards. Bangalore City station too figured in the list."