The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Cantonment station gets swanky

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Saturday, Mar 29, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Cantonment station gets swanky

Staff Reporter

Ticket counters to be shifted to air-conditioned premises

Food court to come up at the station
One ticket reservation counter for senior citizens to be on the ground floor

Photo: K.Gopinthan

New facility: Mahesh Mangal (left), Divisional Railway Manager, Bangalore, inaugurating the Video Enquiry System at the Cantonment Railway Station in Bangalore on Friday.

BANGALORE: Passengers using the Cantonment Railway Station in the city have many reasons to cheer. While a new air-conditioned passenger reservation system (PRS) office and a large passenger concourse within the station premises are in the pipeline, a networked video inquiry system was launched on Friday. In all, the South Western Railway (SWR) will be spending nearly Rs. 1 crore on various passenger amenities at the station.

The eight PRS counters, situated at the main entrance of the station on the ground floor, will be shifted to the newly constructed first floor complex. For senior citizens, however, one counter will remain open on the ground floor.

Speaking to presspersons here after launching the video inquiry facility, Divisional Railway Manager Mahesh Mangal said a passenger concourse and food court would come up where the PRS counters are situated.

At the Millers Road entrance, a new building with nearly 600-square-metre floor area would be built to accommodate unreserved ticket issuing counters as well as the passenger concourse. This entry, which leads to platform 2, where all out-bound trains stop, has little space for passengers at present, Mr. Mangal said. The SWR has provided a networked video inquiry facility at both the entrances of Cantonment Station. Linked to the Control Room at the divisional headquarters, the facility will enable passengers to directly interact with operators and get their queries answered.

Mr. Mangal said although the local video inquiry facility did exist elsewhere, Bangalore Division had gone in for a networked video inquiry facility to provide comprehensive information to passengers.

“The system will enable the Railways to provide information with minimum human resources while simultaneously helping passengers unaccustomed with touch-screen kiosks, to get information,” he said.

This facility, the official said, had been provided at Krishnarajapuram, Mandya, Tumkur, Yelahanka, Hindupur and Yelahanka Railway Stations. As a part of Railway Ministry’s tie up with the Communications Ministry to offer reserved tickets through post offices, the Bangalore Division would open the facility at the post office located in the Art of Living Ashram on Kanakapura Road.

Mr. Mangal said it would be inaugurated in the first week of April. The facility would be extended to post offices across the division, he added.

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