Railways can play a great role in taking over Bangalore’s transport. Yes, take over! This requires tremendous amount of political will though.
Few steps that can take us towards this are listed below. As we discuss many more ideas are surely going to emerge.
- Create an easy and clean access between KBS and SBC.
- Build underground bus terminals at the front and rear entries of SBC. Private vehicles and autos are allowed but not buses (except for the buses of Defence Ministry)
- Build big terminals at Yeshwanthpura, Byapanahalli, Yelahanka. Terminate all out-station trains coming in from each directions at these stations. And this will free up SBC for city transport alone. Easy connecting trains to these terminals should be provided from SBC.
- With double lining of Mysore track, trains from Mysore can terminate at SBC as there is no room for a bigger terminal at Kengeri or Naayandahalli. With faster trains from Mysore direction, de-congestion of Bangalore can happen as people can travel quickly from/to places like Ramanagara and Bidadi.
- Existing space available at SBC (towards Royan Road/Chamarajpet) can be optimally used. An entrance and a bus terminal will help people from Basavanagudi side. This would also ease pressure on the main gate and the narrow roads.
- Additional land adjacent to the railway stations should be handed over to Railways and not auctioned to builders. (As I write this, BMRCL has announced ‘Commuter Lifestyle Centre’ at Byapanahalli). For e.g., Binny Mill land and the vast stretch between Oklipuram entrance and Mantri Mall to be utilised for commuter rail and other businesses (like Victoria terminus in London).
- Consider building underground yards at SBC, Binny Mills, Oklipuram, Byapanahalli and other terminals.
- From KBS (Kempegowda Road end) upto Rajajinagar (Minverva Mills ground) there are no commercial structures and the land is owned by various Govt departments. Part of this can be utilised for public transport. Since the terrain supports multi-level roads/rail tracks here, this option should not be ignored.
- Explore options of new tracks from (i) Kengeri-Kanakpura-Bannerghatta Road, (ii) Kengeri-Magadi Road-Peenya
- Explore options for creating new railway stations on the existing routes.
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Railways is a gold mine for next decade of economic boom!
Arun,
There are no two views about potential of Railways just not for Bengaluru alone but for the entire nation. It is sad and irony that none of the railway ministers in past decade or so had tried to realize the true potential of railways. The current railway minister and his predecessor, is more concerned with populist ideas (constantly opposing the very govt they are in) than unshackling the railways for the good of the country and the people. They have not realized that, truly if they desired, millions of poor can be helped and empowered through railways. It needs a vision and statesmanship, not short -sighted political acumen which is always looking for vote base.
By not unshackling the railways, the ministers are denying the masses specially the downtrodden and poor, means for livelihood opportunities and opportunity to earn their living.
It is another infrastructure like telecom where there are numerous opportunities to modernize, capacity buildup and introduce new services.
Modernization
Capacity Building
New Services
Off coarse, ample opportunities to private sector for partnership and entrepreneurship.
Railways
All the trains should stop at all the stations near to B'lore. this will significantly reduce the vehicular traffic on the roads. This will be significant in the evenings,
capacity drain
There are far too many non-express (loss-making) passenger trains in operation eating into track and platform capacities during peak hours, denying the IR the opportunity to provide more revenue earning express and goods train services and thereby serve the public and economy better. The so-called social purpose of these operations thus becomes questionable.
For more on that, as also possible solutions, click here
Rail services in Bangalore
Resurrecting this old discussion again....
There are quite a few railway stations in Bangalore. Say from "Kengeri" in the west to Yeshwantpur/Yelahanka in the North, Biayyappanahalli in East, Carmelaram in far south-east connecting different outskirts (except for south) and most of them have double lines.
Has the feasibility of running passenger trains connecting these stations during peak hours (7AM-10AM, 5PM-8PM) been investigated? This should go a long way in easing the road transport during peak hours, thereby easing connectivity across different directions.
- Srivatsan
- Srivatsan