Proceedings of DULT meeting on 2012 RITES Report on Bengaluru CRS !
Department of Urban Land Transportation (DULT) in GOK had called a meeting with all the stake holders of 'Commuter Rail' to discuss the 2012 RITES report on Implementing Commuter Rail Service in Bangalore.
The meeting was held on July 11th, 2012 @ 3 PM in Meeting Hall No. 422, 4th floor, Vikasa Soudha, Bangalore. Here is the summary of proceedings of this meeting captured by Mr. Muralidhar Rao, President, Praja-RAAG.
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Yesterday's meeting was one that conveyed the most positive of vibes for any meeting involving government officials that I have ever attended. There was Ms Manjula, IAS from UDD, alongwith team members Mr Shailendra Singh, and Mr Purushotam; Mr Khatri, IAS from IDD, alongwith four of his senior officers; Mr Sudanshu Mani, DRM, SWR alongwith team members Mr Praveen Kumar Pandey, Sr DOM / Bangalore, Mr N Ramesh, Sr DCM Bangalore, SWR, Mr Nanduri Srinivas, CTPM SWR Hubli, apart from a few other senior officers; the RITES team of three (from Secunderabad) headed by Mr K Venkateswara Rao, GM (Transportation & Economics); and Sanjeev, Hemant and me from PRAJA-RAAG
The meeting went on for over two hours, with all of them concentrating on how best to get it off the ground the fastest, and thereafter to realise its fullest potential. At the end of it all, it was decided that RITES will make the revisions in the scope of the stages/ phases, as discussed, by the 20th of the month, to enable UDD/ IDD to table the proposal requiring the state's sanction before the Chief Secretary by the month-end. Simultaneously, the proposal requiring the Railway Board's sanction will also be processed and pursued by SWR.
If I understood correctly, in the first phase, some 40 new trains will start in a matter of 12 - 24 months, replacing some 26 pairs of present ones (Mr Sudanshu Mani was even talking of introducing a few even as early as within 3 months).And, once the entire upgradation (electrification, signalling, doubling/ adding new sets of tracks, fly-overs where required, terminal/ berthing facilities, etc) is carried out, the number of trains can increase to 120/ 140 or more.
The link to BIAL was not considered so far, since it would require about 4 km of elevated tracks. Ms Manjula suggested that this too be included any way to provide for a ready comparison to the HSRL option.
All in all, a very positive development. It is perhaps for us now to popularise the concept, particularly involving the MLA's/ MP's from constituencies on the periphery of the city.
Muralidhar Rao
Preseident, Praja-RAAG
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Good Progress and thanks to DULT !
Murali,
Thanks for the update. Looking at your positive vibes (which you don't show for any govt meetings), I am sure it is an occasion to celebrate. For Praja's Namma Railu team, Beer is on me. :)
Looks like CRS is really making progress and we all should keep up the pressue to get it realized ASAP.
A special thanks goes to Madam Manjula, DULT for taking CRS this far and making every effort to get it implemented. This is not a small acheivement given the forces working against CRS.
GOK/DULT, IR/SWR, there shouldn't be any hesitation to grant the approval. Go for it. Citizen support is there for this project.
-Syed
Meeting outcome reported in Deccan Herald!
Source - Deccan Herald
"...Addressing the media during an interactive session on Friday, Bangalore’s Divisional Railway Manager Sudhanshu Mani said that RITES, which had prepared a draft proposal for the launch of commuter services would be re-submitting the draft after modifications in three week’s time.
“We held a meeting with all the stakeholders two days ago. We will be deciding on the investment model for this project. Once that is finalised, we are looking at introducing the services in 15-24 months’ time on the existing tracks. This will lead to a quantum jump on commuter services,” he remarked..."
Thanks Syed for updating the news article
Now SWR, GoK and IDD are working to get this services of Commuter Rail for Bangalore at the earliest. Now its state gov shold openly offer Binny Mill land to SWR with air space for commercial use and BMTC bus stop.
Lets see how things moves on RITES final report.
The Hindu - commuter rail system in Bangalore could be a reality
Source - The Hindu
The commuter rail system could cater to Nelamangala, Tumkur, Doddaballapur, Chickballapur — including Bengaluru International Airport: Sudhanshu Mani, DRM of South Western Railway’s Bangalore Division
A commuter rail system that could solve traffic gridlocks in Bangalore could be a reality within two years on the existing railway network in and around the city.
The project will take concrete shape after RITES (Rail India Technical and Economic Services), assigned to prepare a detailed report on the proposal, submits its report in a couple of weeks.
After the final report, all the stakeholders will meet and decide on the model to be adopted to execute the project, said Sudhanshu Mani, Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) of South Western Railway’s Bangalore Division.
Good to see SWR showing interest in commuter rail.
DNA and Asian Age covering the Commuter Rail from DRM
Source - DNA
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.
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Source - Asian Age
Commuter rail could soon link suburbs to city centre
The Commuter Rail System connecting Bengaluru city to the suburbs will soon become a reality with South Western Railway (SWR) expanding its network to the suburbs.
Rail India Technical and Economic Services (RITES) has submitted a feasibility report to the State Government. It is said that suburban trains could start 15 months from the date of approval given by the Government.
The Suburban Commuter Rail System will connect high-density locations like Whitefield, Kengeri, Tumkur, Dodaballapur and Chikkaballapur (near Bangalore International Airport).
The proposal for a commuter rail system has been pending for some time and was awaiting a feasibility report by a professional organisation.
“RITES submitted a report to the State Government almost a month back. Railways, Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT) and related organisations had a meeting two days ago to discuss the report.
Great to see these
Great to see these developments...wish that Govt does this at the earliest...Hope Mr.Shettar listening...
Namma Railu
Mr Honarable CM ,
Please ensure this Project will run on the right track ...
Commuter Rail getting more mention
In a TOI article titled
'Sustainable Infrastructure is the key to Development" by V Madhu in TOI July 25, 2012, Mr. V. Madhu says that public transport (trip?) share in Bangalore should be 73%. Among suggestion for Metro rail mono rail, High Speed Rail and BRTS, he also adds,
"The state must take up the commuter rail system connecting Malur, Nelamangala, Bidadi, Anekal and Devanahalli in assocition with the Indian Railways.
More that CRS gets mentioned, better it will seep into the public consciousness.
CRS coverage in the Hindu by
CRS coverage in the Hindu by MA SIraj
One may question if the ‘city’s fathers’ ever thought of using the existing railway network for the daily commuters’ needs? While plans were chalked out to build the Metro at a huge investment of Rs. 38,000 crore, a Commuter Rail Service (CRS) linking these corridors into a network is yet to materialise.
More
& some more
One reporter who has done a indepth study!
First of all thanks to Mr. M A Siraj for indepth account of why Bengaluru needs a commuter rail service.
It seems he is one journalist who has done some deep study of RITES report and a closer look at commuter rail vs Metro, BMTC etc. Good to see some one from media writing not just the bytes alone but presenting a detailed case for citizen's ponder.
Good thing brought how city planners missed or overlooked
With current usage by 1,50,000 people commuting on the skeleton services, things would have been much better if State Govt, BBMP, BDA had they put their eye on existing rail tracks 10 years back.
Bangalore would not have been so bad as this day on traffic
Anil Kumar Agarwal takes over of DRM of SWR
Mr Anil Kumar Agarwal today took over as Divisional Railway Manager of Bangalore Division of the Southwestern Railway. An Officer of Indian Railway Service and a trained Mechanical Engineer, he has worked on various assignments related to Loco, Carriage and Wagon maintenance and operation over Central, South Central and Southern Railways. Mr Agarwal has held administrative position as Additional Divisional Railway Manager Sonpur Division of East Central Railway, a SWR release said here.
http://news.webindia123.com/news/articles/India/20120727/2032634.html
Commuter Rail should not get affected by thse transfers.