Gridlocked Bangalore needs Commuter Rail

 

Bangalore: In an attempt to bail out the city from suffocating traffic snarls and to provide dedicated mass transport, Commuter Rail must be executed on a priority basis in the next two or three years say urban planners. 

 

Speaking to Deccan Chronicle urban expert Ashwin Mahesh said that a Commuter Rail facility for Bangalore city will ferry thousands of commuters into the city from the suburbs.

The Commuter Rail has been conceptualised to link suburban areas to the city using the existing railway infrastructure, so coordination between the state government and Railway Ministry for smooth execution of the project is essential. 

 

“We can’t keep on widening the roads. It is not feasible for a city like Bangalore which is growing rapidly and the land price is skyrocketing. 

 

“All metro cities have Commuter Rail facility to decongest the city and to ferry people on a dedicated and reliable mass transportation mode,” Mehta said.  

 

A Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) must be established for better co-ordination between the State government and the railway ministry. Namma Metro must supplement the Commuter Rail for success of the train and the fare must be affordable for all classes, suggested Mahesh.

 

Divisional Railway Manager of South Western Railway (SWR) S. Mani said that the State government has planned to utilise existing infrastructure to run the Commuter Rail by procuring EMU engines. However, no approval has come from the railway board for execution of the project. The decision has to be taken at the planning commission level, he said.

The State government is expecting to share 50 per cent of the cost. 

 

But railways have no money to fund the project. Although no new corridors have been proposed, the State government has promised funds for doubling of tracks to Hosur and Salem, said Mani.

 

The government has proposed to set up the Bangalore Suburban Rail Corporation Ltd. and the Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT) is working on the detailed project report. The project is estimated to cost around Rs. 9600 crore