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Bangalore to have local train service

By Our Special Correspondent

BANGALORE NOV. 1. The Minister of State for Railways, Basanagouda R. Patil Yatnal, has said the Railways plans to start a local train service in Bangalore city in partnership with the State Government and the Union Urban Development Ministry.

Speaking after flagging off the Bangalore-Dadar (Mumbai) Bi-weekly Express train from the Bangalore City Railway Station, Mr. Yatnal said the Railways India Technical and Economic Services (RITES), a sister concern of the Railways, had completed a survey on the local train service project. The estimated cost of the project was Rs. 1,000 crore. The State Government would have to share one-third of the cost of the project, he said.

The local trains would carry eight lakh commuters daily and cover places such as Kengeri, Yeshwantpur, Yelahanka, Whitefield, Vimanapura, and Banasawadi. To speed up all ongoing and proposed projects in the State, he would soon hold a meeting with the Chief Minister, S.M. Krishna, Mr. Yatnal said. On the lines of the "Palace on Wheels" in Rajasthan, the Railways had chalked out a plan to provide rail connectivity to tourist spots in the State. Prospective places had been identified and the project would be implemented in collaboration with the State Tourism Department, beginning January 2004, he said. On doubling of the railway line between Bangalore and Mysore, he said work had been completed up to Kengeri and work was on from Kengeri to Ramanagaram. The State Government had agreed to implement the project till Ramanagaram and it would meet 75 per cent of the cost, he said.

Mr. Yatnal said funds had been released for gauge conversion between Bidar-Gulbarga, Bijapur-Gadag and Mangalore-Hassan. He said a survey had been conducted on installation of anti-collision devices in trains and they would be installed soon in all trains of the South Western Railway.

A new train service between Yeshwantpur and New Delhi would start from January 1, Mr. Yatnal said.

The chief guest at the function to flag off the new train, the former Railway Minister and MP, C.K. Jaffer Sharief, said problems in the procurement of goods and lack of transparency in allotment of tenders were the major reasons for train accidents.

The State BJP President, H.N. Ananth Kumar, urged Mr. Yatnal to name the Bangalore-Dadar Express train after Kempe Gowda.

The Bangalore Division Railway Manager, Mahesh Kumar, welcomed the gathering. The Additional Division Railway Manager, Vijay Agarwal, proposed a vote of thanks.

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