As many as 15 railway stations coming under the Mysuru Railway Division will be upgraded and modernized at a cost of ₹385 crore and the works are expected to be completed by June 2024.
The works are being taken up under Amrit Bharat Station Scheme (ABSS) and Harihar, Ranebennur, Chitradurga, Arsikere, Talaguppa, Sagar, Shivamogga, Hassan, Sakleshspur, Tiptur, Davanagere, Chamarajanagar, Subramanya Road, Bantwal, and Chikkamagalur stations will be revamped under the project.
This was stated by Divisional Railway Manager Shilpi Agarwal at a press conference in the city on Friday. She said some of the common amenities include end-to-end shelter over the platforms, world-class lounges, new furniture, etc. ‘’The works are underway and will be completed by June 2024’’, she added. Besides, many of the works are station-specific based on local requirements including escalators and lifts and are being taken up, she added.
The works on the first phase of the project covering 508 stations was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in August.
Passengers can expect hassle-free entry and exit while there will be emphasis on the requirements of persons with disabilities, as per the project.
With regard to yard development of Mysuru station which is being expanded Ms. Shilpi Agarwal said that the techno-feasibility survey will be completed by the end of the year after which the works are expected to commence. The foundation for remodelling of the Mysuru station was laid by Mr. Modi during his visit to the city in June 2022.
On the track electrification of the remaining 550 meters on the Mysuru-Chamarajanagar section near the Mysuru Airport which is pending due to technical issues, Ms. Agarwal said they were trying to find a solution to it. Though the Mysuru MP Mr. Pratap Simha had called for track realignment, Ms. Shilpa Agarwal said that the land adjoining the track also belonged to the airport authorities. ‘’Besides a survey has to be done to study the extent of land for the track realignment which result in a detour’’, she added.
The track electrification on the stretch has been held up as the Airports Authority of India and the Director General of Civil Aviation have refused permission on the grounds that live electric cables will cause disturbance to the navigational equipment of the plane and was fraught with risk.
Shakti impact
The impact of the State government’s Shakti scheme providing free ride in KSRTC buses to women has been marginally felt by the railways. In reply to a question, Ms. Agarwal said the impact is minimal but it is only with respect to short distance trains. It has had no impact on the long-distance services. However, an assessment on the extent of impact in monetary terms was yet to be done, she added. Senior Divisional Commercial Manager J. Lohiteshwara and others were present.
