Bengaluru Cantonment Rail station getting Rs 525-crore facelift   

BENGALURU:  To handle the increased transportation needs of the city, the Bengaluru Cantonment Railway Station is undergoing a major makeover. A sum of Rs 525 crore will be spent in two phases. In the first phase, it will be integrated with the upcoming suburban rail network and will have four additional platforms. 

In Phase-1, the Bengaluru Cantonment yard will be remodelled at a cost of Rs 45 crore. The deadline for it is February 2023, according to an official release. Four additional platforms and three additional lines will enable operation of more trains from/to this station and reduce the stress on KSR Bengaluru station. The remodelled yard will be integrated with the quadrupled section between Bengaluru Cantonment and Whitefield. The yard will also be integrated with the suburban railway network for the facilitation of seamless mass transportation. 

n addition, a Foot Over Bridge is being constructed which will connect Borebank Road to Netaji Road for the convenience of passengers and pedestrians. In the second phase, the station building will be redeveloped making Bengaluru Cantonment a world-class airport-like terminal at a cost of Rs 480 crore. It will also become a city centre where commercial activities can happen 24x7, the release said. 

Among the main developments planned are a fully air-conditioned 216 metre wide air-concourse, segregated arrival/departure points to avoid congestion, G+5 multi-level parking, roof plaza over the platforms with earmarked space for commercial activities such as retail outlets, food courts and infotainment zone.  

There will be seamless multi-modal integration with local public transport and well demarcated pick-up/drop zone. New Delhi-based Varindera Construction Pvt Ltd was awarded the contract on December 12 this year with a deadline of 36 months to complete the project.