Whitefield Railway Station is used by an average 8,000 passengers daily. | Photo Credit: SUCHITH KIDIYOOR
After the introduction of Namma Metro service to Whitefield, rail infrastructure in the eastern part of Bengaluru is also getting a facelift. South Western Railway (SWR) is all set to revamp two railway stations — Krishnarajpuram and Whitefield — for the benefit of commuters. According to SWR officials, under the Amrit Bharat Station scheme, a total of 15 stations coming under the Bengaluru division will be developed, including these two stations located on the Bengaluru–Jolarpettai Junction line.
An official of the SWR said, “Various amenities are proposed under the scheme for the benefit of passengers, including upgrading platforms, providing escalators, lifts, developing parking areas, resting rooms, beautification of stations, and others.”
At present, the skywalks provided to change the platforms at the two stations do not have escalators and lifts. These two stations are being used by daily travellers as well as long-distance travelers.
The official said, “In Bengaluru, the Sir M. Visvesvaraya Terminal at Baiyappanahalli has set a standard in providing passenger amenities. On similar lines, Yeshwantpur and Cantonment stations are being developed. A total of 15 stations under the Bengaluru division have been identified under the Amrit Bharat scheme to upgrade the infrastructure, which also improves the travel experience.” Under the SWR, a total of 55 stations have been identified for development under the scheme.
The Krishnarajapuram Railway Station receives a footfall of around 25,000 while the Whitefield station is used by an average 8,000 passengers daily. The approximate number of passengers travelling from Bengaluru city to Whitefield is 20,000. The official said that 23 trains are operated on the line, including 16 MEMU services, 6 express trains and one DEMU train.
Yeshodhara G., who regularly travels on the MEMU train between Whitefield and Baiyappanahalli, said, “In the evening hours, I take the MEMU train to reach Baiyappanahalli from Whitefield. It takes just ₹10 to travel the distance. Every day, hundreds of people use the MEMU train to reach the city from other areas. The SWR should come out with a master plan to develop three stations on the line — Whitefield, Hoodi, and Krishnarajapuram. At Whitefield, other than passengers, hundreds of people use the skywalk to reach the other end of the road which is built parallel to the railway bridge. If escalators are provided, pedestrians also get benefited. There is no proper signage for passengers to reach the ticket counter. Also, passenger information system should be installed for the benefit of people.”
Rail activist Sanjeev Dyamannavar added, “While upgrading the infrastructure, the SWR also came up with plans on integrating with the metro stations that are recently opened for commercial operations. At present, people are forced to walk on busy roads to access the metro station from the railway station at K.R. Puram. At Whitefield, there is no direct access from the railway station. In future, once the quadrupling of the Cantonment and Whitefield sections gets completed, there will be more footfall of passengers in these stations. Providing good integration with other modes of transport helps people in a big way.”
