Bengaluru: Activists who have been campaigning for suburban rail services in Bengaluru, have started visiting colleges and speaking to students on how suburban rail could ease commute in the city.
So far, they have visited four colleges and addressed 1,600 students. Many of the students were not aware of the possibility of using local trains and welcomed the idea.
Srinivas Alavilli, who is a part of the Citizens for Bengaluru group which is behind the ‘Chuku Buku Beku’ campaign, said suburban rail is an option everyone from planners to citizens support, yet nothing had been done for decades. It could easily reduce traffic on roads and make commute easier, he said.
"Besides having existing stations, there are lines where you can start services in a few months. For example, Karmelaram station can serve 6 lakh people working in Outer Ring Road. So why not run a train from Majestic to Karmelaram or from Yeshwantpur?" he says.
Another possibility, he says, is a regular suburban train to Devenahalli station to help passengers get to Kempegowda International Airport.