Wait for bridge continues.

A key infrastructure project which has the potential to ease the burden on the Bengaluru City Railway Station and Cantonment Railway Station has been stalled as the Railways await completion of a 100 feet bridge.

In 2013, the Railways completed a land swap with the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike for 3.3 acres in the Binny Mills area, which it wanted to use for expansion of city railway station.

The land was to be used for a pit line expansion, which would make it possible to accommodate 24 coaches as opposed to 18 coaches at present. The land was also earmarked for creation of a line dedicated to shunting of trains from city station.

'If this project is completed, it will help with shunting, which is currently being carried out with a line that connects to Cantonment station. This means that every time we need to shunt, the line has to be blocked,' said Sanjiv Agarwal, Divisional Railway Manager, Bengaluru.

The project is ready but for the steel girders, which are needed for erection of a bridge across a road that runs through the property.

'There is a 100 feet wide road over which we have to build a bridge. The girders are being manufactured,' Mr. Agarwal said.

Work on the project was launched in May 2014 and was expected to be completed by April this year.

The total cost of the work is Rs. 3.83 crore.


THE HINDU