BENGALURU: In March, the country’s first centralised AC railway terminal at Byappanahalli was ready. Four months later, passengers still can’t avail its facilities as South Western Railway hasn’t started services from the terminal. Reason: A formal inauguration is pending.
SWR had approached the prime minister’s office through the railway ministry to get PM Narendra Modi to do the honours. However, it is yet to get a confirmation date. Similarly, the foundation stone-laying ceremony of the long-pending suburban rail project is pending, officials said.
The recent assembly elections in four states and the second wave of Covid delayed the inauguration, they added.
Work on the Sir M Visvesvaraya Terminal, Bengaluru (Byappanahalli third coaching terminal) was supposed to have been completed in December 2018, after it was sanctioned in 2015-16 to help SWR operate more trains from Bengaluru.
The Rs 314-crore station building spread over 4,200 sqm will cater to a daily footfall of 50,000. It has seven platforms apart from eight stabling lines and three pit lines. Every day, 50 trains can operate from the terminal.
ROB work pending
The 810m-long rail over bridge proposed in 2010-11 to connect Sir M Visvesvaraya Terminal and Swami Vivekananda Metro station on Old Madras Road is yet to be completed. Work stopped in 2012 after the defence ministry refused to hand over land and resumed seven years later. The project was scheduled for completion by June 2020 but got delayed due to shortage of workers after the pandemic struck. However, SWR officials maintain the ROB is expected to be ready by this month-end.
