Wait for FOB to City Railway Station gets longer

The bridge will be a link to the Namma Metro station nearby

An underconstruction foot-over-bridge from Namma Metro City Railway Station to Karanthiveera Sangolli Rayanna City Railway Station is unlikely to be ready for another five months.

Bengaluru: The opening of a Namma Metro station adjoining the Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna (KSR) City Railway Station brought much cheer to passengers. However, almost immediately after the launch, most passengers with heavy luggage realised that it is not a good option.

The Metro services were launched nine months ago, but a foot-over-bridge linking the transport hubs is yet to be completed. According to officials, it is unlikely to be ready for another five months.

Visitors are forced to lug their bags across a 100 metre stretch and take a steep flight of stairs to reach the foot-over-bridge to platform number 10 of KSR station.

“The exit to the Metro station is right beside the wall of the railway station. Passengers have to walk a small distance before the staircase to the foot-over-bridge begins. This road is dimly lit and uneven,” said Fatima, a passenger who was struggling with a large suitcase.

Plans to link the foot-over-bridge with the railway station is not seeing much progress. Last year, it was decided that the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) would build the foot-over-bridge till the boundary of the railway station while the South Western Railway, Bengaluru division will build the rest.

In October last year, SWR officials had said that the building of the FOB is part of a larger project to construct an escalator and other facilities for platform number 10. Technical difficulties, like laying of underground cables and the foundation for the bridge, were cited for the delay. The bridge was expected to be completed by March.

“Laying the pillar for the bridge and shifting the overhead line is taking time. Work will be completed in four months,” a senior SWR official said.

Once the bridges are connected, the current steps will be broken, officials said.

With the North-South line of BMRCL expected to be operational by April, the railway station will see a lot more passengers arriving by the Metro. However, these passengers will be forced to tow their luggage and climb a steep flight of stairs at least till June.