Prestige Shantiniketan Apartment Halt station near ITPL

Video shot by techie captures plight of commuters in a station without platform

Hundreds of commuters are getting down from a railway station. As there is no platform around, they are getting down directly on the railway tracks and walking on them for a distance before they hop onto the nearby road. This may look like a scene from a movie, but this is actually a video shot by a HR person to highlight the plight of hundreds of techies who travel by train to Whitefield area every day.

Mahesh Mahadevaiah, who works as a HR professional in a Japanese company in Whitefield, said, "I am a regular commuter and I know the hardship faced by us getting out of the railway station. Hence, I shot the video." The video was shot on December 1 and posted on Facebook. Ever since, it has gone viral with many people wondering how difficult it is to travel to their companies.

Speaking to Mirror, Mahesh said, "I travel from Vijayanagar to Whitefield every day. After getting caught in traffic jams every day, I decided to switch over to train. So, I take the Bengaluru city-Marikuppam train which leaves the city station at 7 am and halts at Hoodi station at 7.45 am. Hoodi station is a technical stop with no platforms around. As there are no ticketing counters, we buy monthly pass to travel in the train. So, everyday, I have seen that around 300 people getting down at the station. So, I wanted to shoot a video on my mobile phone highlighting the plight of rail commuters to Whitefield. If the issue is addressed by introducing more trains, then it will definitely serve the purpose. "

What is plaguing Hoodi station?

There has been a steady increase in employees, especially techies travelling to Whitefield. An estimated six lakh people travel to ITPB and nearby places every day. This has resulted in the main roads (Mahadevapura road, Marathalli road, Kundalahalli road and outer ring road) leading to Whitefield becoming choked with traffic. (It may be noted that the problem became so bad that even the city traffic police revised their plan in the Whitefield area.)

Meanwhile, some of them have tried for an alternative mode of transport: trains. As the Whitefield area is nearer to the Bengaluru-City Jolarpettai railway line, they opted for the train.

A few trains like Bengaluru City-Marikuppam passenger and others were giving a halt at Satellite Goods Terminal Whitefield (SGTWF cabin) which is popularly known as Hoodi station. Prakash Mandoth, an ex-member of Zonal Users' Railway Consultative Committee, said for the last several years around 2,000 people get down at SGTWF which is near Prestige Shantiniketan.

It may be mentioned that in August 2013, around 35 pilgrims were run over by a speeding train at Dhamara Ghat Station in Khagaria district of Bihar. This forced the railways to abolish the Hoodi station.

"The railways initially wanted to abolish the technical halt after the Bihar incident. However, the zonal railway users' consultative committee met in September and took up the issue with railway authorities in the hope that Hoodi station stop would remain as a special case, as it would affect 2,000 commuters if not implemented. We also requested construction of a permanent halt station with all the basic amenities, "Mandoth said.

This was followed by another round of meets with railway officials in October 2013. This was soon followed by a survey for the proposed halt station. The survey was completed in December 2013.

The railways announced the survey results in January 2014 stating that the halt station needed an expenditure of Rs 92,42,430. "Passengers are facing a lot of hardship due to non-availability of basic facilities and are walking on the tracks as they don't have a pathway. The problem becomes worse during the rainy season and many of them end up getting hurt," added Mandoth.

 

http://www.bangaloremirror.com/bangalore/others/Hoodi-railway-station-in-dire-need-of-infrastructure/articleshow/45406349.cms?

 

Actual users of this Train need to raise their voice and share their difficulties, then only crying baby will get attention.

 

Look at how much oney spent at Kodeghalli Railway station just for 3 trains only ???  In such case,  Railway need to priorities which station it is getting more passenger traffic and what facilities need  to be improved.  When this un-official halt station used by more then 3000 people,  Railway could have spent oney here in bringing infrastructure and earn more revenue.