Mysuru: Even after the completion of double rail track and electric locomotive between Bengaluru and Mysuru it has not been of help to the passengers. Due to terminal constraints at the Mysuru Railway Station, it’s very difficult even to run a single new train between Mysuru and Bengaluru.
According to the railway authorities, additional trains can be operated only after setting up of another satellite terminal station, which is proposed at Naganahalli. The Mysuru station is landlocked and there is no scope for expansion. There is lot of demand for running more trains between these two stations for overall economic development of Mysuru. Hence, there is an urgent need for an alternative satellite terminal station for Mysuru to handle the projected additional traffic, for which the Mysuru division S W Railway officials are coming out with DPR to develop Naganahalli Railway Station as satellite terminal station on the lines of the Yeshwanthpur Railway Station.
Due to completion of the doubling line and electrification between Mysuru and Bengaluru, there are scopes for more number of trains. More number of trains will be diverted from Bengaluru Railway Station which is also already overcrowded. Hence to accommodate the new trains at Mysuru Railway Station which is already congested will be difficult. Keeping this in mind, the Mysuru division is preparing DPR for a terminal station at Naganahalli. Once it is finalised it will be sent to the Hubli headquarters and later for final approval from Railway Board, Delhi. The cost of terminal station at Naganahalli is estimated to be more than Rs 500 Crore.
Atul Gupta, Divisional Railway Manager, Mysuru division, South Western Railway said, “Mysuru Railway Station is almost congested due to which it is difficult to accommodate new trains. Including biweekly and triweekly trains, every day from Mysuru, 31 trains depart to Bengaluru and equal number come from Bengaluru. Once these trains come, there is a lot of work involved the foremost being maintenance and cleaning work. To accommodate more trains which require maintenance including cleaning work it’s very difficult. We are preparing a DPR for terminal station at Naganahalli which is estimated to cost more than Rs 700 Crore. Once we get a terminal station, all the works which are being undertaken in Mysuru will be shifted to the second terminal station which will be coming up on the lines of Yeshwanthpur Railway Station. The government has a very strong hope that the project gets sanctioned at the earliest. Everyday at an average nearly 30,000 people travel in train; among them 5000 are regular commuters to Bengaluru and every year the passengers are increasing by 5 to 10 percent.”
What will proposed terminal station will have?
The proposed terminal station at Naganahalli will have eight platforms, rake, water and maintenance facility and so on. As of now, all these have been undertaken at Mysuru Railway Station itself.
Just one hour forty five minutes to reach Bengaluru!
During statutory inspection of electrification and speed trial of AC Electric Local Hauled train service on broad gauge double line by K A Manoharan, Commissioner of Railway Safety (Southern Circle), Bengaluru and during speed trial from Mysuru to Bengaluru with just two stoppages of two minutes each, it was noted that the electric locomotive took just one hour forty five minutes to reach Bengaluru.
