BENGALURU: While the commissioning of the Metro line from RV Road to Bommasandra is being eagerly awaited by employees in Electronics City, another portion of the 48-km Doubling Project between Baiyappanahalli and Hosur comes as a huge relief for commuters. The Heelalige station, in the vicinity of Chandapura, is located 3 km and 5 km from Electronics City-2 and Electronic City-1 respectively.
The Rs 498.73 crore doubling project from Baiyappanahalli via Bellandur Road, Karmelaram, Huskuru, Heelalige, Anekal, and Marayanayakanahali ends at Hosur. Director, Projects, Karnataka Rail Infrastructure Development Enterprises (K-RIDE) RK Singh told TNIE, “The 10.5 km stretch from Karmelaram to Heelalige stations has already been commissioned. By the end of this financial year, we will be commissioning the Bellandur Road to Karmelaram, a crucial distance of 3.5 km. In addition to it, a 7-km stretch between Anekal and Maranayakanahalli will also be commissioned.”
He added, “The single rail track at Bellandur Road is being augmented with four more tracks now, thereby letting us have five tracks here. A new station is also being created at Huskuru between Karmelaram and Heelalige. All these are measures to upgrade infrastructure to run more trains.”
SWR has also constructed four new platforms at Bengaluru Cantonment now. “With such infrastructure in place, SWR could run a train every 30 minutes from Cantonment towards Heelalige from March 2024. They need to ready two new MEMU 8-coach trains to run these trips.”
A road under the bridge between Baiyappanahalli and Whitefield is also being widened in connection with the doubling project. Urban transportation expert Sanjeev Dyammanavar said, “The quadrupling project between Cantonment and Whitefield, and this doubling project, could together make a huge difference in the way people commute. Chandapura junction is in the vicinity of the Healalige station. It is close to Electronics City-2 and will be 5 km from Electronics City-1.
More trains on the route will be a big game-changer. Those heading to Sarjapur, and those visiting Anekal and Karmelaram among other areas too will benefit.” The entire Baiyappanahalli-Hosur doubling project has a deadline of December 2024. Asked about the possibility of running more trains after the Doubling is commissioned, Divisional Railway Manager Yogesh Mohan, told, “Let K-RIDE execute their work first. When it is in place, we will do whatever is possible from our side to ease travel for the public.”
‘BMTC needs to get involved to make it a success’
Public transport activist Srinivas Alavilli spearheading the #Personal2Public campaign told TNIE, “We already have commuters using the Yesvantpur-Hosur train alighting at Heelalige. BIOCON employees use it, and the company runs shuttle buses from there. If more trains are run after the doubling is done, it will be patronized by many only if feeder buses are provided by BMTC. “The feeder buses get a very good response now. BMTC plans to run 300 of them by April 2024.”