South-Western Railway (SWR) received a total grant of ₹2,709 crore for 2020-2021 in the Union Budget even as people in Kalyana Karnataka are livid over the meagre allocation of ₹1,000 for setting up the administrative office of the proposed Kalaburagi Division under Central Railway.
Considering the State government’s expected contribution of ₹786 crore under deposit schemes of new lines and road over/under bridges, the overall allocation comes to ₹3,495 crore for SWR, said Chief Public Relations Officer E. Vijaya. The ₹ 2,709 crore from the Union government includes capital and extra-budgetary resource funds, the highest ever after SWR’s formation, she added.
Smoother train movement could be expected on the Bengaluru-Chennai section following provision for automatic signalling with centralised traffic control on the Bengaluru-Jolarpettai section while similar a provision has been made for the Yeshwantpur-Yelahanka section too. As much as ₹8 crore has been allocated for the Baiyappanahalli new terminal. In all, nine RoBs and 15 RuBs were sanctioned.
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The Hassan yard will be remodelled to facilitate taking trains from Bengaluru and Mangaluru directly without engine reversal. Amenities at various stations will be improved at a cost of ₹126 crore.
Important lines of SWR will be covered under automatic signalling [30% of network] thereby ensuring seamless operations. Instead of a coach factory, a composite repair shop will be set up at Kolar at a cost of ₹495 crore.
A new line between Dharwad and Belagavi via Kittur that cuts shorts the present distance has been sanctioned at the instance of Minister of State for Railways Suresh C. Angadi.
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Kalaburagi division
Activists from Kalyana Karnataka blamed the political executives for the non-realisation of the new Railway Division that was sanctioned about six years ago. The Daund-Kalaburagi and the Pune-Guntakal electrification works got ₹128 crore, the Gooty-Dharmavaram doubling got ₹135 crore, and the Munirabad-Mahbubnagar new line got ₹100 crore in the region.
Mangaluru region
Mangaluru Railway region under Southern Railway got ₹17.2 crore for three ongoing works: an additional platform and second entry at Mangaluru Central (₹3 crore and ₹3.5 crore) and doubling of Netravathi Bridge-Mangaluru Central (₹10.7 crore).