BENGALURU: The exclusive terminal proposed at the Bengaluru Cantonment railway station to run suburban train services to ease the traffic on the city’s roads has not made much progress due to lack of funds as well as the pandemic-induced national lockdown. The contract to carry out civil infrastructure work here was awarded nearly three months ago.This upcoming terminal is different from the `15,767 cr suburban rail project awaiting clearance from the PMO and the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs.
The `37.94-cr project will have four new platforms 1B, 1C, 1D and 1E along the main entry of the station to facilitate running of more trains and a seven-storeyed terminal building.
Many MEMU and DEMU trains can run between Cantonment and Hosur, Tumakuru, Devanahalli and Marikuppam when the project, approved by the Railway Board in August 2019, is in place.One portion of the contract, laying of stabling lines and readying of platform, was awarded to PJ Baby in April. A K Swami, Chief Administrative Officer, Constructions, South Western Railway, told TNIE that fund crunch was hampering the progress of the work. “We need to release at least `6 crore to the contractor for this financial year so that work can begin. No progress has been made so far,” he said.
Giving details on the new terminal, T B R Narayana Rao, Chief Engineer (North), Constructions, SWR, said, “The proposed new platforms will all come on the side of the main platform (PF 1). A subway will ensure they are interconnected. This will require demolition of some of our existing railway offices along this side and 29 houses in the Railways Quarters. We have written to the Bengaluru Division seeking their consent.”