BENGALURU: Even as the new Foot Over Bridge (FOB) from Krishnarajapuram (KR Puram) Railway Station to KR Pura Metro Station was opened without any fanfare on Saturday, a specific issue poses inconvenience to the public. The down ramp of the bridge stairs touches down inside the railway premises, 100 metres away from Platform 4, throwing up a challenge for passengers with heavy luggage and senior citizens. It has now been decided that Bengaluru Division will create a pathway to help passengers reach the station.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic East), Kuldeep Kumar Jain told TNIE, “We met senior officials of Metro and Railways on Tin Factory Main Road and surveyed the area. Our goal is to create an integrated traffic management plan at this critical junction, so the public can commute seamlessly between all modes of transport.”
At present, there is enormous congestion and 700 to 800 passengers rush out of the railway station whenever a train arrives, and head to the road, impacting traffic there too. “There will be clear demarcated parking zones for auto and cabs, and other facilities. There is enough space inside the station and everything needs to be streamlined,” he said.
He added that both Railways and Metro have been told to come up with detailed sketches of their plans within a couple of days, before a final strategy is chalked out. Bengaluru Divisional Railway Manager Yogesh Mohan said, “As an immediate measure, we will be creating an opening from where the bridge connects to platform 4, so the public can easily reach it. From this platform, other platforms are accessible through the existing FOB. In future, as part of Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, we will replace the connecting bridge with a wider one.”
On the opening, a senior Railways official said, “A pathway will be created by removing parking space. Instead of 100 metres, public need only walk 40 metres to reach the platform.” The new FOB is 35m long and 8m wide. A Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) official said, “One lift of the FOB on the railway end and some modifications in the concourse area of the Metro station are still getting completed.”
Senior divisional commercial manager, Krishna Chaitanya, senior divisional engineer (coordination) Subham Sharma, chief project manager, Gati Shakti, Gul Ashfaque represented the Railways, while Zakir Hussain, chief engineer, represented BMRCL in the meet with police.