Nelamangala-Shravanabelagola stretch gets green signal

Rail Safety Commission okays project, which shortens B’luru-M’luru route, trains set to chug off before March 31 deadline set by PMO, says a top railway official

BENGALURU: THE Commissioner of Rail Safety, Southern Circle, has given the authorisation for the running of trains on the new 111-km railway line between Nelamangala and Shravanabelagola. When commissioned in March, this will become the shortest railway route between Bengaluru and Mangaluru by covering the 368-km between the cities within 10.5 hours.

“We were given an oral clearance by the CRS on Monday (Feb 20) and received the authorisation in writing on Tuesday (Feb 21) to run trains. The Commissioner has suggested minor rectifications but has okayed running of trains at 80kmph initially,” he said. The speed would be increased to 100 kmph later, he added.
However, due to various reasons, trains will commence operations only after the first week of March but will definitely chug off before the March 31 deadline set by the Prime Minister’s office, said a top railway official.  

The 167-km project between Bengaluru and Hassan was announced in 1996-1997 when Deve Gowda was the Prime Minister at a cost of `1, 289 crore. A total of 56 kms of railway lines between Bengaluru and Nelamangala as well as the portion between Shravanabelagola and Hassan had been commissioned earlier. The middle portion has been commissioned now.
However, there are many reasons why trains cannot run immediately-- minor technical defects, need to position staff of cadres at all stations enroute, the pending commissioning of three new stations and a possibility of getting Prime Minister Narendra Modi to cut the red ribbon.   
Divisional Railway Manager, Bangalore Railway Division, Sanjiv Agarwal, said that the exact date of commencement of the first run will be fixed by the Railway Board. “We are trying our best to be ready to commence operations by the first or second week of March,” he said. Specific trains to be run are still being finalised.

Acknowledging the railway certification, Ashok Gupta, Chief Administrative Officer, Constructions, South Western Railway, said, “Station masters, patrolling men, ticketing men and ticket machines need to be in place before trains are run. Recruitments took place recently and staff are being posted in all the stations between Nelamangala and Hassan now. Another railway official said the technical defects pointed out by the CRS would be set right within a week. “Within ten days the staff would all be in place,” he added.
According to a top source, “This is a prestigious project and a long-pending dream of former Prime Minister Deve Gowda. He is very keen that Prime Minister Modi inaugurates it. Hence, we cannot give you any specific date right now.”

The stations enroute would be Bengaluru (or Yeshwantpur) Chikkabanavara, Nelamangala, Solur, Tippasandra, Kunigal, Yediyur, B G Nagar, Hirisave, Samudravalli, Channarayapatna and Shantigrama. “The last three stations are yet to be commissioned,” the official said.
The present route between the two cities runs to 446-km via Mysuru and Hassan, which is covered in 12 hours while the 401-km route via Arisikere and Hassan takes 11 hours and 45 minutes.

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