In the past three months, the demand for suburban railway services has reached a fever pitch and finally, the government seems to be taking notice.
An above average bus services and a partly functioning metro have not been able to reduce traffic snarls. Now, people are looking towards suburban train services to step in and provide relief.
Experts are already of the opinion that the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) will have to spend thousands of crores to cater to half of the city’s population. This being highly unlikely, the relatively cheaper option of suburban train connectivity has received support from all quarters.
“The bus and metro services simply cannot move a city of over one crore people. Authorities have spent thousands of crores on the metro service but a much smaller amount can give us connectivity to distant sub-urban areas as well,” said Professor T.G. Sitharam, Department of Civil Engineering, IISc.
The benefits are many. Imagine working on M.G Road and staying in Ramanagara. If you have to travel by road, it is an impossible proposition.
“But with a good mass transit network, you can take the metro to the City Railway Station and a Mainline Electrical Multiple Unit (MEMU) train from there to Ramanagara. Your travel time is under 90 minutes with no tension of driving in traffic,” said Sanjeev Dyamannavar, who is a supporter of the sub-urban railway project.
In a presentation made on Saturday, he listed out possible commutes and the benefits of having a strong rail network connecting the city and its suburbs. “We beed 30 new stations. These can be built at a cost of Rs. 1 crore per station. The State government must blindly finance such stations as they cost a fraction of the cost for other means of transport,” he said.
The flagging off the MEMU service between the city and Ramanagaram last week has generated curiosity among frustrated vehicle owners. With more people taking the train to work every day, the concept has been welcomed by Bengalureans. The demand for more services is growing with each day.
With a government that seems interested in financing the project and preliminary work on adding 15 more MEMU trains progressing rapidly, hopes are high that those who choose to travel by these trains will not have to deal with the worsening traffic situation on the roads. With the capacity of carrying a few thousand passengers per train, a suburban rail system seems to be the city's best hope of reducing vehicles on the road for now.
