BENGALURU: Union Minister of State for Railways V Somanna on Saturday reviewed major railway infrastructure projects in and around Bengaluru and said works worth over Rs 50,000 crore are currently under progress across Karnataka.
Chairing a coordination meeting at the Divisional Railway Manager’s office in Bengaluru, the minister reviewed projects aimed at decongesting railway terminals, improving commuter convenience and expediting safety-related works. Officials from the Railways, NHAI and state government attended the meeting.
The minister reviewed the progress of Road Over Bridges (ROBs) and Road Under Bridges (RUBs) being constructed in place of level crossing gates within a 100-km radius of Bengaluru. Officials discussed issues related to land acquisition and inter-departmental coordination.
Addressing the media, Somanna said there are nearly 100 level crossing gates within 100 km of Bengaluru. ROBs and RUBs have already been sanctioned for 46 level crossings, while detailed project reports (DPRs) are being prepared for 24 more locations. Proposals for the remaining crossings are also under preparation, he said.
He said the Tumakuru-Bengaluru quadrupling project would be taken up and plans were being prepared for a direct railway line between Bengaluru and Kolar. He also announced that Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw would virtually flag off a bi-weekly train service between Sir M Visvesvaraya Terminal and Lokmanya Tilak Terminus on May 17.