BANGALORE: Bangalore City Railway Station will be converted into a world class station and tenders for providing consultancy services will be invited shortly, Praveen Kumar, General Manager, South Western Railway, has said.

Addressing presspersons here on Tuesday, Mr. Kumar said that finalising the services and facilities to be provided at the station was taking time, as there was no model station to emulate in the country. "Railway stations outside the country have world class facilities but the problem is that our requirements are different from the ones there," he said.

Stations at Bangalore Cantonment, Krishnarajpuram, Tumkur, Bangarpet and Hosur are being developed into model stations, he said. Facilities will be upgraded at Whitefield, Yelahanka, Dharmapuri, Mandya, Hindupur, Bangalore East, Byyapanahalli, Malleswaram, Kengeri and Kuppam. Food plazas, ATMs, pay-and-use toilets, security surveillance are also being planned at many stations, he said.

Revenue

Mr. Kumar said that the South Western Railway was the fastest growing zone among the 16 zones in the country. Earnings from transporting goods in the zone had increased by 28 per cent — to Rs. 2,640.95 crore from Rs. 2,056.75 crore. The budget grant for South Western Railway had increased from Rs. 511.47 crore to Rs. 833.97 crore, Mr. Kumar said.

Mr. Kumar said 46 km of new lines would be laid between Bangalore and Nelamangala and Kottur and Harpanahalli. Gauge conversion on 210 km of lines and doubling of 114 km of lines will also be undertaken.

Year of cleanliness

He said 2007-08 had been declared the year of cleanliness and special emphasis would be given to cleaning stations and trains. Tenders for mechanised cleaning of trains have also been invited.

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