Baiyappanahalli to get a terminal makeover
It is hoped that redeveloped station will ease techies' commuting woes
Work on converting Baiyappanahalli railway station into the city’s third train terminal has begun.
Pre-feasibility work has been entrusted to Chinese company, Chinese Railway Construction Engineering Group (CRCEG).
Minister of State for Railways Manoj Sinha, in a statement to Rajya Sabha, said: “The pre-feasibility study by Baiyappanahalli, along with New Bhubaneswar will be undertaken by the Chinese Railway Construction Engineering Group at the latter's cost under a Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Indian Railways and the National Railway Administration of the People's Republic of China, recently.” Sinha said preliminary information has been exchanged between CRCEG and the Indian Railway Stations Development Corporation Ltd. (IRSDC) in this regard. In fact, the Indo-China relationship over railway development also involves Chinese assistance in training Indian Railways personnel in the area of heavy haul transportation. While the first batch of 22 Indian Railways personnel are undergoing training at Beijing Jiatong University in China, officers from the South Western Railway divisional expected to join the subsequent four batches.
Officials here maintain that Baiyappanahalli station redevelopment will augment the city's burdened rail infrastructure. SouthWestern Railways Divisional Manager Anil Kumar Agarwal told Bangalore Mirror: “There are space constraints at Bangalore City railway station and Yeshwanthpur station; it is in this backdrop that development of a third terminal at Baiyappanahalli was mooted. We have already completed two pit lane works in the new Byappanahalli station and currently one MEMU (Multiple Electric Motor Unit) is under construction. We are waiting for the plan and a CPP (Central Public Procurement) model, which is not yet decided.“
While pointing to the massive fund requirements for making Baiyappanahalli station a worldclass facility, Agarwal hoped that funds would be released at the earliest for the project. On the pre-feasibility study, Agarwal said: “As of now, only a team from Northern DRM had visited and inspected the station. The officials from China are expected to arrive shortly.“
Baiyappanahalli, which has a Metro Rail terminal and an interstate bus terminus, has been touted as the next big transport hub in the eastern part of the city. As the Baiyappanahalli station has a track network link with all the lines in Bengaluru, it can reduce the burden on Bengaluru City and Yeshwanthpur stations.
Baiyappanahalli station can bring relief to the tech corridors too. For the last few years most of the trains announced in the railway budget start from Yeshwanthpur station. However, the problem is reaching Yeshwanthpur, which is the north western part of Bengaluru. Those staying in Whitefield or Electronic City have to travel almost two to three hours to catch the train.
If the trains startterminate at Baiyappanahalli station, then those heading to the tech corridors can get down at Baiyappanahalli station, either take a Metro to reach the city or take another bus to reach the tech corridor. The travel time will be halved.
Work on converting Baiyappanahalli railway station into the city’s third train terminal has begun.
Pre-feasibility work has been entrusted to Chinese company, Chinese Railway Construction Engineering Group (CRCEG).
With this development, the plans chalked out for Baiyappanahalli station, located off Old Madras Road, is all set to be fast-tracked.
Minister of State for Railways Manoj Sinha, in a statement to Rajya Sabha, said: “The pre-feasibility study by Baiyappanahalli, along with New Bhubaneswar will be undertaken by the Chinese Railway Construction Engineering Group at the latter's cost under a Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Indian Railways and the National Railway Administration of the People's Republic of China, recently.” Sinha said preliminary information has been exchanged between CRCEG and the Indian Railway Stations Development Corporation Ltd. (IRSDC) in this regard. In fact, the Indo-China relationship over railway development also involves Chinese assistance in training Indian Railways personnel in the area of heavy haul transportation. While the first batch of 22 Indian Railways personnel are undergoing training at Beijing Jiatong University in China, officers from the South Western Railway divisional expected to join the subsequent four batches.
Officials here maintain that Baiyappanahalli station redevelopment will augment the city's burdened rail infrastructure. SouthWestern Railways Divisional Manager Anil Kumar Agarwal told Bangalore Mirror: “There are space constraints at Bangalore City railway station and Yeshwanthpur station; it is in this backdrop that development of a third terminal at Baiyappanahalli was mooted. We have already completed two pit lane works in the new Byappanahalli station and currently one MEMU (Multiple Electric Motor Unit) is under construction. We are waiting for the plan and a CPP (Central Public Procurement) model, which is not yet decided.“
While pointing to the massive fund requirements for making Baiyappanahalli station a worldclass facility, Agarwal hoped that funds would be released at the earliest for the project. On the pre-feasibility study, Agarwal said: “As of now, only a team from Northern DRM had visited and inspected the station. The officials from China are expected to arrive shortly.“
Baiyappanahalli, which has a Metro Rail terminal and an interstate bus terminus, has been touted as the next big transport hub in the eastern part of the city. As the Baiyappanahalli station has a track network link with all the lines in Bengaluru, it can reduce the burden on Bengaluru City and Yeshwanthpur stations.
Baiyappanahalli station can bring relief to the tech corridors too. For the last few years most of the trains announced in the railway budget start from Yeshwanthpur station. However, the problem is reaching Yeshwanthpur, which is the north western part of Bengaluru. Those staying in Whitefield or Electronic City have to travel almost two to three hours to catch the train.
If the trains startterminate at Baiyappanahalli station, then those heading to the tech corridors can get down at Baiyappanahalli station, either take a Metro to reach the city or take another bus to reach the tech corridor. The travel time will be halved.
