Saturday, July 14, 2012
Friday, July 13, 2012
Commuter rail could soon link suburbs to city centre
South Western Railway DRM S. Mani shows the ongoing projects and
achievements of SWR in the last one year, in Bengaluru on Friday
The Commuter Rail System connecting Bengaluru city to the suburbs
will soon become a reality with South Western Railway (SWR) expanding
its network to the suburbs.
Rail India Technical and Economic Services (RITES) has submitted a
feasibility report to the State Government. It is said that suburban
trains could start 15 months from the date of approval given by the
Government.
The Suburban Commuter Rail System will connect high-density locations
like Whitefield, Kengeri, Tumkur, Dodaballapur and Chikkaballapur (near
Bangalore International Airport).
The proposal for a commuter rail system has been pending for some
time and was awaiting a feasibility report by a professional
organisation.
“RITES submitted a report to the State Government almost a month
back. Railways, Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT) and related
organisations had a meeting two days ago to discuss the report.
The report will be resubmitted in three weeks time to the State
Government with some modifications as discussed in the meeting. We are
hoping that the project could happen now as we have a framework for the
project,” said the Divisional Railway Manager of South Western Railway
(SWR) Division, S. Mani.
The project will not require new tracks as the existing track network
will serve the purpose. However, in Phase-2 of the project, doubling of
all lines will take place and electrification of lines may also happen.
“We will have to decide on the funding structure for the project and we
will have to see the monetary commitment for the project also,” said
Mr. Mani.
City railway station will be expanded
Bangalore City Railway station will soon be expanded. A report
submitted by RITES proposed two additional platforms by shifting the
cleaning and maintenance units to another station like Byapanahalli.
Initially it was proposed that the Binny Mill land would be used for
the expansion of the City Railway Station which sees 2 lakh passengers
every day.
The station needs to be expanded because the number of long distance
trains has increased. Mr Mani said that a huge space between platform
numbers 4 and 5 is being used for cleaning and maintenance of coaches
which will be shifted to Byapanahalli where there is land or to Hejjala
railway station located close to Ramanagaram.
“Once the unit is shifted, the space can be used for constructing two
more platforms at the station and more long distance trains can then
take off from the City Railway station,” said the DRM In the report
submitted to the State Government, the Railways has requested that the
Binny Mill land be developed as a commuter rail hub for passengers to
quickly board and alight from trains.
“We will be spending close to Rs 13 crore on maintaining the rakes at
the station. There was a proposal to revamp Byapanahalli station and
make it into a world class station but that is not under our purview as
it lies with the Railway Board.,” Mr Mani said. A new building is also
being built, with parking space, restaurants and reservation counters.
interchange with metro stations
BMRCL stations will be connected to railway stations with the help of
travelators. Railways have entered into an agreement with BMRCL to
provide this facility to connect MG Colony metro station (entry/ exit
points) with Bangalore City Railway station. Railways have agreed to
provide land for this facility. The travelators will be overhead. It has
also been proposed that the railway station’s subway be connected to
the metro station.
BMTC Buses will be available
Railway passengers could soon take a bus from the railway station
itself. Railways in collaboration with BMTC are planning to have a bus
lane right outside the station. Another possibility is the new road from
the railway station that connects to the Koday Circle. This road is
being widened and BMTC buses may come from this road to the railway
station.
Security measures to be beefed up
All illegal entry points at the City Railway station will be closed,
and 100 CCTVs will be installed at the station. The station will be
equipped with two baggage scanners and two vehicle scanners. Close to Rs
2 crore will be spent on enhancing security.
Saturday, July 7, 2012
A bridge on Nice road
A
100-metre bridge at Gottigere junction on Nandi Infrastructure Corridor
Enterprises (Nice) Road was inaugurated on Saturday to ease traffic.
The missing link between the two junctions of Peripheral Road had so
far forced vehicles to exit at Bannerghatta Road before moving back to
Peripheral Road. This had resulted in acute traffic jams and time
delays, Nice Managing Director Ashok Kheny said.
The construction of the bridge at Gottigere junction had earlier met
with legal hurdles and was a missing link along the stretch for many
years. Nice officials said that with the opening of the bridge, about 80
per cent of the traffic, including heavy vehicles, from Electronic City
and Hosur would be without interruptions.
Movement of vehicles on Kanakapura Road, Mysore Road, Banashankari,
Magadi Road and Tumkur Road is also expected to ease with the
commissioning of the bridge.
However, a small section of the bridge is still under litigation. This
section is now connected by a temporary ramp to allow uninterrupted flow
of traffic between the two ends of Peripheral Road. The bridge was
formally inaugurated on Saturday morning by Malathi Kheny, mother of
Ashok Kheny.
At the ceremony, Kheny said the new bridge would pave the way for the
early completion of the 111-km expressway between Bangalore and Mysore.
DH News Service
Missing link at Gottigere connected
The newly opened bridge at Gottigere juntion on Nice Road.
 |
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Channapatna to get hi-tech private bus terminal
Channapatna will soon get an ultramodern terminal for private buses.
Ramanagara-Channapatna Urban Development Authority (RCUDA) has invited tenders from eligible bidders and class-1 contractors registered with the Department of Public Works for constructing the eight-floor bus terminal complex. The “pre-bid meeting” will be held at the authority’s office in Ramanagaram on July 11.
The bus terminal will have facilities such as two-wheeler and four-wheeler parking areas, toilets, public telephones, emergency medical aid, ATM counters, supermarkets and other commercial establishments, a garden, terrace restaurants and a multiplex. The bus terminal will also have ramps so as to provide hassle-free access to the aged and persons with physical disabilities.
“Several buses ply via Channapatna to various districts and States. The existing private bus terminal does not have adequate facilities. There was a need to have a better bus terminal and hence RCUDA came up with the project,” K. Sheshadri, Chairman of RCUDA, told The Hindu on Thursday.
The project, a joint venture with the Channapatna City Municipal Council, is estimated to cost Rs. 32.63 crore. It will come up on 8,824.64-sq m plot attached to the existing private bus-stand, adjacent to the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation’s bus terminal.
The plot is now being used to dump garbage and for parking autorickshaws, maxicabs, and trucks.
“RCUDA and the CMC have jointly drawn up the blueprint for the ultramodern bus terminal that will have a built-up area of 20,020 sq m,” Mr. Sheshadri said.
While the State government has given administrative approval for the project, the Department of Fire and Emergency Services has issued a no-objection certificate.
“We have invited tenders and the project will be completed within 36 months,” an officer attached to the Channapatna CMC said.
RCUDA and the CMC expect revenue of at least Rs. 10 crore every year from the terminal complex. Two floors in the complex will be set aside for multiplex and another two floors for restaurants.
“The main purpose of constructing the bus terminal is to ease traffic congestion on the Bangalore-Mysore highway in front of the existing private bus-stand,” an officer said.
Ramanagara-Channapatna Urban Development Authority (RCUDA) has invited tenders from eligible bidders and class-1 contractors registered with the Department of Public Works for constructing the eight-floor bus terminal complex. The “pre-bid meeting” will be held at the authority’s office in Ramanagaram on July 11.
The bus terminal will have facilities such as two-wheeler and four-wheeler parking areas, toilets, public telephones, emergency medical aid, ATM counters, supermarkets and other commercial establishments, a garden, terrace restaurants and a multiplex. The bus terminal will also have ramps so as to provide hassle-free access to the aged and persons with physical disabilities.
“Several buses ply via Channapatna to various districts and States. The existing private bus terminal does not have adequate facilities. There was a need to have a better bus terminal and hence RCUDA came up with the project,” K. Sheshadri, Chairman of RCUDA, told The Hindu on Thursday.
The project, a joint venture with the Channapatna City Municipal Council, is estimated to cost Rs. 32.63 crore. It will come up on 8,824.64-sq m plot attached to the existing private bus-stand, adjacent to the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation’s bus terminal.
The plot is now being used to dump garbage and for parking autorickshaws, maxicabs, and trucks.
“RCUDA and the CMC have jointly drawn up the blueprint for the ultramodern bus terminal that will have a built-up area of 20,020 sq m,” Mr. Sheshadri said.
While the State government has given administrative approval for the project, the Department of Fire and Emergency Services has issued a no-objection certificate.
“We have invited tenders and the project will be completed within 36 months,” an officer attached to the Channapatna CMC said.
RCUDA and the CMC expect revenue of at least Rs. 10 crore every year from the terminal complex. Two floors in the complex will be set aside for multiplex and another two floors for restaurants.
“The main purpose of constructing the bus terminal is to ease traffic congestion on the Bangalore-Mysore highway in front of the existing private bus-stand,” an officer said.
Sunday, July 1, 2012
From road to rail, City’s next leap
There is an urgent requirement of commuter rail for Bangalore.
Different transport authorities need to work in tandem to achieve the
task.
Trapped in the middle of a humongous traffic
jam, you might be left cursing your fate, your roads, the traffic
police, the State government and the vehicles that keep invading the
City’s overburdened roads.
And then you look up to those Namma Metro pillars, promising you the glitzy urban rail, a dreamlike escape from the mundane, hellish ride down below.
Yes, there seems no escape for Bangaloreans but harbour their collective hopes on those 114 kilometres of Metro lines, and fancy the 405-km Commuter Rail System (CRS) starts chugging with the 60-km Light Rail Transit (LRT).
So, if Bangalore makes that decisive shift from road to rail, commuters can breathe free. That is a real possibility, because the draft report on implementing the CRS has been submitted to the Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT), the Namma Metro is gathering steam with trial runs of the Green Line, and the Detailed Project Report (DPR) on the LRT is under progress.
Also in the pipeline is the high-speed rail link to Bengaluru International Airport (BIA), to be implemented by the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL). Combine all these rail systems and you are looking at adding an impressive 515 km to the City.
This will be besides the existing rail network of the South Western Railway.
Yet, the projects aren’t without challenges. The issue now is whether these ongoing and proposed “projects on wheels” are feasible or adequate to meet the commuting needs of a City that continues to clock mindboggling growth. Does this network of different rail services help us tackle the mega challenge of decongesting the City? If so, what precautions should our civic agencies and the State government take while executing these projects?
Deccan Herald spoke to civic experts, traffic experts, government officials and the common man himself to throw more light. Nilanjana R, an urban planner, is convinced that boosting public transport is a must, simply because the population density of the Silicon City is set for a steep hike in the coming decades.
While the present population of Bangalore district is around 95 lakh as per the 2011 census, the projected population for 2031 is a whopping 118 lakh! The population density in the City, which was 2,985 per sq km in 2011 census, has crossed 4,378 as per 2011 census. In the coming years, Bangalore will only get denser.
More rail services, she says, would definitely be better since it is a cheaper and better mode of public transport.
RITES (Rail India Technical and Economic Services), in its draft report on commuter rail, mentions that Bangalore has not yet actively tapped the huge potential the railway system has. The Mumbai suburban and Chennai suburban trains’ share of their city’s public transport needs no explanation, the report notes.
The report also talks about how a passenger-friendly rail system could decongest Bangalore by bringing commuters from the suburban areas into the City and take them back within a span of a maximum 90 minutes. Commuter traffic mainly originates at the suburban hamlets or towns and satellite cities situated at a distance ranging between 30 km and 100 km from the main hub Bangalore.
As such requirement cannot be met either by road or by monorail or by Metro, there is an urgent requirement of commuter rail for Bangalore. Different transport authorities need to work in tandem to achieve this, the report says.
The different civic agencies are required to co-ordinate efficiently to implement the different rail-related projects. Bangalore Airport Rail Link (BARL) Director (Projects) C Jayaram says, irrespective of the rail or any public transport project, civic authorities have been directed by the government to be in tune with the Comprehensive Traffic and Transportation Plan (CTTP) as well as the Comprehensive Development Plan 2015.
“The CTTP is like the Bible for all civic agencies and we ensure that our plan didn’t violate the guidelines in it. For example, we have made sure that LRT intersects the Metro corridor and other mass rapid systems for better connectivity. Further, LRT and other rail projects have been drawn up after a detailed analysis of the traffic density and a field survey,” says Jayaram.
On the draft report of the commuter rail, DULT commissioner V Manjula says at the project report level they should make it sure that opinions of all stakeholders connected with the project are taken. “We have already circulated the draft report on commuter rail to the South Western Railway, BBMP, transport department, etc. Only after receiving the opinion of the respective stakeholders, we will move towards finalising the report,” she says.
According to Mahesh H S, another urban planner, developing a rail network is a welcome move, but one should agree that no single mode of commuting, be it rail or road or metro rail, can fully gratify the commuting needs of Bangalore. BMTC buses, which are the traditionally preferred means of transport for commoners, should be made better use of as a supplement feeder network for the upcoming rail network. The best possible mix of different modes of public transport should be the approach for any urban planning.
Growth centres such as Mandya, Ramanagaram, Hosur, Hoskote, Tumkur, and Bangarapet surrounding Bangalore City should also be kept in mind while planning public transport for Bangalore. Only then the pressure on Bangalore will ease, he contends.
Namma Metro
* Length: Phase 1 (42.3 km), Phase 2 (72.09 km)=114.39 km
* Connectivity: Considering Majestic as the starting point till Whitefield in the east, Kengeri in the west, BIEC along Tumkur Road in the north and Anjanapura Township in the south. Also, two new lanes under phase 2, namely from Jayanagar to Electronics City and Nagavara to Gottigere
* Estimated cost: Phase 1 (Rs 11,609 crore) and Phase 2 (Rs 25,000 crore) = Rs 36,609 crore
* Status: 6.7 km under phase 1 operational, and DPR for phase 2 accepted
* Expected date of completion: Phase 1 by May 2014 and Phase 2 by 2017-18
High-speed rail
* Length: 35 km, estimated cost: Rs 6,000 crore
* Connectivity: MG Road to Bengaluru International Airport
* Status: Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation has been as signed to take up the project task with Central assistance
* Expected date of completion: Not yet set
Commuter rail
* Length: Projected 405.60 km
* Connectivity: To connect Bangalore City with suburbs in the districts, namely Bangalore Rural, Mandya, Kolar, Chikkaballapur and Tumkur
* Estimated cost: Not yet set
* Status: Draft project report under State government review
* Expected date of completion: Not yet set
LRT/Monorail
* Length: 60 km (includes 41.3 km of light rail transit (LRT)
* Connectivity: Two out of five corridors under LRT:
JP Nagar to Hebbal and Toll Gate on Magadi Road up to the proposed peripheral ring road. Other corridors
include Jaraganahalli to Cantonment, Kathriguppe Road to National College and Hosur Road to Bannerghatta.
* Estimated cost: Rs 6,400 crore for LRT
* Status: DPR under progress for LRT corridors
* Expected date of completion: Not yet set
And then you look up to those Namma Metro pillars, promising you the glitzy urban rail, a dreamlike escape from the mundane, hellish ride down below.
Yes, there seems no escape for Bangaloreans but harbour their collective hopes on those 114 kilometres of Metro lines, and fancy the 405-km Commuter Rail System (CRS) starts chugging with the 60-km Light Rail Transit (LRT).
So, if Bangalore makes that decisive shift from road to rail, commuters can breathe free. That is a real possibility, because the draft report on implementing the CRS has been submitted to the Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT), the Namma Metro is gathering steam with trial runs of the Green Line, and the Detailed Project Report (DPR) on the LRT is under progress.
Also in the pipeline is the high-speed rail link to Bengaluru International Airport (BIA), to be implemented by the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL). Combine all these rail systems and you are looking at adding an impressive 515 km to the City.
This will be besides the existing rail network of the South Western Railway.
Yet, the projects aren’t without challenges. The issue now is whether these ongoing and proposed “projects on wheels” are feasible or adequate to meet the commuting needs of a City that continues to clock mindboggling growth. Does this network of different rail services help us tackle the mega challenge of decongesting the City? If so, what precautions should our civic agencies and the State government take while executing these projects?
Deccan Herald spoke to civic experts, traffic experts, government officials and the common man himself to throw more light. Nilanjana R, an urban planner, is convinced that boosting public transport is a must, simply because the population density of the Silicon City is set for a steep hike in the coming decades.
While the present population of Bangalore district is around 95 lakh as per the 2011 census, the projected population for 2031 is a whopping 118 lakh! The population density in the City, which was 2,985 per sq km in 2011 census, has crossed 4,378 as per 2011 census. In the coming years, Bangalore will only get denser.
More rail services, she says, would definitely be better since it is a cheaper and better mode of public transport.
RITES (Rail India Technical and Economic Services), in its draft report on commuter rail, mentions that Bangalore has not yet actively tapped the huge potential the railway system has. The Mumbai suburban and Chennai suburban trains’ share of their city’s public transport needs no explanation, the report notes.
The report also talks about how a passenger-friendly rail system could decongest Bangalore by bringing commuters from the suburban areas into the City and take them back within a span of a maximum 90 minutes. Commuter traffic mainly originates at the suburban hamlets or towns and satellite cities situated at a distance ranging between 30 km and 100 km from the main hub Bangalore.
As such requirement cannot be met either by road or by monorail or by Metro, there is an urgent requirement of commuter rail for Bangalore. Different transport authorities need to work in tandem to achieve this, the report says.
The different civic agencies are required to co-ordinate efficiently to implement the different rail-related projects. Bangalore Airport Rail Link (BARL) Director (Projects) C Jayaram says, irrespective of the rail or any public transport project, civic authorities have been directed by the government to be in tune with the Comprehensive Traffic and Transportation Plan (CTTP) as well as the Comprehensive Development Plan 2015.
“The CTTP is like the Bible for all civic agencies and we ensure that our plan didn’t violate the guidelines in it. For example, we have made sure that LRT intersects the Metro corridor and other mass rapid systems for better connectivity. Further, LRT and other rail projects have been drawn up after a detailed analysis of the traffic density and a field survey,” says Jayaram.
On the draft report of the commuter rail, DULT commissioner V Manjula says at the project report level they should make it sure that opinions of all stakeholders connected with the project are taken. “We have already circulated the draft report on commuter rail to the South Western Railway, BBMP, transport department, etc. Only after receiving the opinion of the respective stakeholders, we will move towards finalising the report,” she says.
According to Mahesh H S, another urban planner, developing a rail network is a welcome move, but one should agree that no single mode of commuting, be it rail or road or metro rail, can fully gratify the commuting needs of Bangalore. BMTC buses, which are the traditionally preferred means of transport for commoners, should be made better use of as a supplement feeder network for the upcoming rail network. The best possible mix of different modes of public transport should be the approach for any urban planning.
Growth centres such as Mandya, Ramanagaram, Hosur, Hoskote, Tumkur, and Bangarapet surrounding Bangalore City should also be kept in mind while planning public transport for Bangalore. Only then the pressure on Bangalore will ease, he contends.
Namma Metro
* Length: Phase 1 (42.3 km), Phase 2 (72.09 km)=114.39 km
* Connectivity: Considering Majestic as the starting point till Whitefield in the east, Kengeri in the west, BIEC along Tumkur Road in the north and Anjanapura Township in the south. Also, two new lanes under phase 2, namely from Jayanagar to Electronics City and Nagavara to Gottigere
* Estimated cost: Phase 1 (Rs 11,609 crore) and Phase 2 (Rs 25,000 crore) = Rs 36,609 crore
* Status: 6.7 km under phase 1 operational, and DPR for phase 2 accepted
* Expected date of completion: Phase 1 by May 2014 and Phase 2 by 2017-18
High-speed rail
* Length: 35 km, estimated cost: Rs 6,000 crore
* Connectivity: MG Road to Bengaluru International Airport
* Status: Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation has been as signed to take up the project task with Central assistance
* Expected date of completion: Not yet set
Commuter rail
* Length: Projected 405.60 km
* Connectivity: To connect Bangalore City with suburbs in the districts, namely Bangalore Rural, Mandya, Kolar, Chikkaballapur and Tumkur
* Estimated cost: Not yet set
* Status: Draft project report under State government review
* Expected date of completion: Not yet set
LRT/Monorail
* Length: 60 km (includes 41.3 km of light rail transit (LRT)
* Connectivity: Two out of five corridors under LRT:
JP Nagar to Hebbal and Toll Gate on Magadi Road up to the proposed peripheral ring road. Other corridors
include Jaraganahalli to Cantonment, Kathriguppe Road to National College and Hosur Road to Bannerghatta.
* Estimated cost: Rs 6,400 crore for LRT
* Status: DPR under progress for LRT corridors
* Expected date of completion: Not yet set
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