BENGALURU: If the Bangalore Railway Division has its way, both stabling and maintenance facilities for the Multiple Diesel Electric Units (MEMU) trains of the suburban network would come up at Banaswadi itself.
The Bangalore Railway Division has come out with this proposal and requested NGEF to spare 40 acres of its land at Banaswadi for the same.
The Railway Board has already cleared the setting up of a stabling facility at Banaswadi at a cost of `29.45 crore to house 15 passenger trains that will be converted to MEMU trains. Two of them would be ready by
December this year.
MEMU refers to Mainline Electric Multiple Units. These trains have 12 coaches and hence can carry more number of passengers than the regular passenger trains which have 8 coaches and run on diesel. It is also more eco-friendly.
The original report by consultancy firm, RITES, had proposed maintenance of suburban trains at Tumkur, Mandya and Bangarpet, says divisional railway manager, Bangalore Division, R S Saxena.
“However, having both maintenance and stabling facilities close to each other will help improve efficiency as small maintenance issues can be attended to immediately. It will also help us optimise our staff resources,” he said.
“I have verbally requested NGEF for the land and will be writing to them shortly,” the DRM said. The efficient suburban network in Mumbai houses its maintenance and stabling facilities together, he added.
For the proposed stabling facility, Railways has its own land at Banaswadi, he added.
Phase 1(A) of suburban project
Bengaluru-Mandya
Bengaluru-Tumakuru
Bengaluru -Bangarpet
Bengaluru to Kempe Gowda International airport (feasibility of connectivity from Yeshwantpur station is now on)
The present plan is to carry it out on a 80:20 cost sharing basis with the State funding the lion’s share.