Bengaluru: Bengaluru's fifth and largest railway terminal - proposed in Yelahanka - will have platforms at ground and upper levels, a first-of-its-kind facility designed to meet passenger demands for 2045.
On Saturday, Minister of State for Railways V Somanna held a meeting with senior officials from the South Western Railway (SWR) and the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) to review the ambitious project.
"It will be India's largest railway terminal, with amenities on the basement, ground, first and second floors. This is a historic decision," he said.
Stating that land constraints are holding up the expansion of existing railway stations in Bengaluru - a city that handles two lakh railway passengers every day - Somanna said creating a new terminal was the only option.
This terminal will require land from the Karnataka Housing Board (KHB) and the government of India (Rail Wheel Factory), besides private land. We're taking action to expedite land acquisition," he added.
As per the concept note prepared by the SWR, the new terminal will be built on 7.5 acres of land near the RWF, about 150-200 metres from Yelahanka Junction towards Dharmavaram. The existing station will be integrated into the new facility.
Costing Rs 5,754 crore, it will have 16 platforms, 18 pit lines and 14 stabling lines. Entrances will be planned in such a way that passengers would not have to walk more than 100 metres to enter or exit the station. "We'll avoid conflicting movements by separating arrivals and departures. There will be railway tracks and platforms on both ground and first levels. This is the most feasible option to address land issues," sources told DH.
Following approval from the Railway Board, tenders were called for a Final Location Survey (FLS) for the terminal. "Bids will be opened on May 22, and the contract will be awarded accordingly," the sources said.
Bengaluru| Mega coaching terminal planned in Yelahanka: State Railways Minister V SomannaAfter the Railway Board reviews and approves the FLS, a Detailed Project Report (DPR) will be prepared, paving the way for groundwork to begin, the sources added.
While the Bengaluru railway division handles 300 trains every day and serves 120 million passengers per year, the city is short of 25-30 trains per day.
"By 2045, the city will serve 300 million passengers and need 500 trains. The new terminal will help fufil this demand," the sources said.
This will be the second modern terminal for the city after SMVT Bengaluru. The other major stations are KSR Bengaluru, Yeshwantpur and Bengaluru Cantonment.
The SWR had initially proposed the terminal in Devanahalli but the location was later found unsuitable due to its distance from the city.
Separately, Somanna said the railways was working to construct road overbridges (ROBs) and railway underbridges (RUBs) to eliminate all level-crossing gates within a 100-km radius of Bengaluru. ROBs/RUBs have already been sanctioned for 46 LC gates, while DPRs are under preparation to eliminate 24 more LC gates. Proposals are being prepared for the remaining locations, he said.
He said the RUB work at Ramohalli Gate (LC 16) would be completed by June 30. Similarly, the railway bridge at Bhimasandra will be completed by June, Bilipalya (after Gubbi) by August and Sahakara Nagar within this year. However, the railway bridge work at Dubasipalya, off Mysuru Road, will take time as land is needed, he added.
Answering a question about the long schedule of the newly announced bi-weekly train between Bengaluru and Mumbai, Somanna promised that it would be upgraded to a superfast "in phases".