Bengaluru: There is a passenger train that comes from Arakkonam (near Chennai) which halts behind Prestige Shantineketan near ITPL. There is always a handful of people, especially techies, who want to take the train. There’s no station here, nor is there a platform.
Although last year the Lok Sabha MP P.C. Mohan had donated funds for development of platforms here, the work is proceeding at a snail’s pace. The expenditure is close to Rs 80 lakh. Mohan told Deccan Chronicle, “I have released the funds and I have been informed by the railway authorities that they are on the job.”
Around 3-4 lakh people travel to ITPL and the nearby areas daily. Half of them come in contract buses or by public transport. There seems to be a huge potential for the Railways to earn revenue from this stretch.
Since constructing an overbridge and other things will raise costs further, the Railways at present are only looking at constructing basic amenities like platforms. To start with, the station will have two platforms. The name for the station has not been finalised yet.
Vaidyanathan, who resides in Ulsoor and works in ITPL, saves around 45 minutes as he makes use of the passenger train from Byappanahalli.
“Thankfully, now there is a bridge connecting the metro and the railway station. I have two passenger trains that I can board and they arrive between 9.50 am to 10 am. By 10.10 am I reach ITPL. But the problem is we have to walk on the tracks and cross over to the main road. If the authorities provide the basic amenities, 1000 more people will benefit.”
