The number of passengers handled by the Bangalore Division of South Western Railway between April and December 2011 has witnessed 10 per cent increase while the passenger revenue went up by 7 per cent in comparison to the corresponding period the previous year, according to Divisional Railway Manager Sudhanshu Mani.
Speaking after unfurling the national flag at the Republic Day celebrations organised by the division here on Thursday, Mr. Mani said the passenger revenue increased from Rs. 702 crore to Rs. 782 crore during the period.
Even the performance of trains being operated from Bangalore Division of the South Western Railway (SWR) during the last nine months has been 95.44 per cent, which is substantially satisfactory, he said.
Seven new train services were introduced, six special trains were regularised, four trains were extended and frequency of two trains was increased during the year. While all stations came to have unreserved ticketing counters, 10 passenger reservation system (PRS) centres were opened in the division. At the Bangalore City Station, dedicated unreserved ticketing system on the ground floor of the passenger reservation system has been commissioned.
On the passenger amenity front, major stations – Whitefield, Mandya, Bangalore Cantonment, Hindupur and Penukonda – have been modernised and upgraded to Model Stations with desired amenities.
Also other passenger amenities such as provision of station wide-area network (WAN), Retro Reflective direction boards, battery operated carts, Rail Ahar, Jan Ahar, retiring rooms and facilitation centre, LCD train charting system, passenger-friendly destination boards, free bus services from and to Bangalore City Station to Majestic bus station and Yesvantpur railway station to Yesvantpur bus station have been provided, Mr. Mani said.
Anupama S. Mani, president of the South Western Railway Women's Welfare Organisation with other office-bearers distributed nutritive beverages to the patients at the Railway Hospital, Bangalore.
Earlier, the ceremonial parade by three platoons of the Railway Protection Force, St. John's Ambulance Brigade, Bharath Scouts and Guides, students of Kendriya Vidyalaya, Shama Vidyashala and St. Philomina's High School marked the celebrations.
Rail Wheel Factory
At the Rail Wheel Factory in Yelahanka, General Manager Rajeev Bhargava unfurled the national flag. Mr. Bhargava said the factory has been an important contributor to the nation by providing quality indigenous products for the Indian Railways. The General Manager said Asia's first state-of-the-art Design and Development Centre for wheels will be set up at the RWF. He said during December 2011, the factory broke all records in production of wheels, axles and wheel sets.
