Bengaluru: Train commuters, especially those using Mysuru route, complain that quite often precious time is lost just because the trains get held up at Kengeri or Nayanahdalli railway stations for want of a vacant platform at Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna (KSR) city railway station.
Though there was a proposal to occupy Binny Mills land to build a shunting yard for trains, but now there is a change in plan.
The Binny Mills land was sanctioned in 2013 and the project was scheduled to end by 2015. But now the South Western Railways is planning to set up a shunting yard at Hejjala, near Kengeri, on a forest land, following a land swap deal with BBMP.
SWR sources said the 3.3 acres at Binny Mills was insufficient for a shunting yard and hence they decided to move to Hejjala. They wanted close to 10 acres to set up four coach terminals.
Another factor was the land cost. In case of Binny Mills SWR would have to shell out '80 crore for an acre, whereas Hejjala is on the city outskirts and the land is owned by the state government.
Moreover since Binny Mills is in the heart of the city, the SWR would have to build a railway under bridge, which would have affected lots of utility cables and pipeline.
Yogendra, a railways activist told Deccan Chronicle, "Despite double-tracking the railway line between Bengaluru and Mysuru, the travel time between the two cities still remains unchanged. Earlier the SWR planned to purchase some part of Binny Mill land and use it as a shunting yard, for trains that remain for the night halt, but it was delayed. But later the land swap with BBMP for only 3.3 acres which was impossible to accommodate 40 trains, so now they are using that 3.3 acres only for turning the trains."
Currently, trains are being shunted in the front of the city railway station, which is affecting the flow of trains coming from Cantonment station.
“I travel every weekend from Mysuru to Bengaluru and I board Malgudi Super Fast Express, which was only called as Malgudi Express few days back. The fare has been increased by Rs 15, but the time taken to reach city railway station has been the same. The officials have to look into this and solve this issue at the earliest,” said Rakshith N., a commuter.
Experts also opine that the 10 platforms as KSR railway station are not equipped to accommodate more trains and more platforms need to be built.
Currently trains coming from Mysuru enter the KSR railway station only on platforms five to 10. Apart from remodeling KSR railway station, train timings on Bengaluru-Mysuru route need to be altered.
