Minister for Railways M. Mallikarjun Kharge inaugurated several passenger amenities through remote control from the Banaswadi Railway Station in Bangalore on Saturday. He also flagged off two express trains to Nagercoil (Train no. 17235/36) and Kamakhya (Train no. 12551/52).
After inaugurating four escalators at the Bangalore City Railway Station that have come up at a cost of Rs. 3 crore, he said that the facility would benefit senior citizens and people with disabilities. Bangalore was one among the 850 railway stations in the country that have got the escalator facility, he added.
The Minister inaugurated a road overbridge at Sarjapur Main Road. The project was taken up at a cost of Rs. 17.77 crore on December 2012. Mr. Kharge then laid the foundation stone for the MEMU (Main Line Electrical Multiple Unit) shed at Banaswadi.
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The MEMU shed was sanctioned in the supplementary budget in December 2013, and it will come up at a cost of Rs. 11.83 crore, he said.
He said during his tenure as Union Railway Minister, he has sanctioned 10 new trains for the State.
He also pointed out that there were 26 ongoing railway projects that have been taken up at a cost of Rs. 23,125 crore. Of these, 16 projects are under 50:50 cost sharing basis between the State and the Centre. The land acquisition process is on for the remaining 10 projects.
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Earlier, Home Minister K.J. George urged him to improve passenger amenities at the Banaswadi Railway Station, and provide a halt for all trains there. Mr. Kharge directed the South Western Railway General Manager P.K. Saxena to look into the demand for a canteen, waiting rooms and toilets at the Banaswadi Railway Station and fulfil the same.
MP D.B. Chandre Gowda, Transport Minister and city in-charge Ramalinga Reddy, chairperson of the Railway Passenger Amenities Committee Chalavadi T. Narayanaswamy, and Deputy Mayor Indira were among those present.