Mysuru: The much needed satellite terminal station for Mysuru at Naganahalli got approved in the recently held union budget. Once the terminal station becomes a reality there will be more scope for additional trains towards Mysuru, especially from Bengaluru.
Although the work on doubling the railway track between Bengaluru and Mysuru is operational with passengers travelling between the two cities few minutes quicker, they don’t have anymore benefits from the project. Despite provisions for operating an electric locomotive along the line being in place, constraints at the Mysuru terminal appear to be in the way of operating a new train between the two cities.
Some officials with the South Western Railways (SWR) said that additional trains could be operated only once another satellite terminal station was set up, since the Mysuru Railway Station is too congested and overcrowded. The terminal station was earlier proposed at Kadakola Railway station but later the railway authorities decided to have terminal station at Naganahalli Railway Station which comes before Mysuru Railway Station. The authorities estimated that construction of a new terminal at Naganahalli would cost around Rs 700 Crore. The railway authorities in Mysuru, after lot of hard work, finalised the detailed project report (DPR) for the new station and was sent to the divisional headquarters in Hubballi before it was subsequently forwarded to the Railway Board in New Delhi.
The station in Mysuru is too congested owing to which it is difficult to accommodate new trains. Including biweekly and triweekly trains, there are nearly 31 trains departing from Mysuru to Bengaluru and as many arriving on a daily basis. Arrival of trains entails a lot of work, particularly in terms of cleaning. Accommodating more trains means more work in terms of maintenance, which is very difficult, under the present circumstances. Once Mysuru gets terminal station at Naganahalli, some of the load will be shifted to that station. In July, the railway authorities in Mysuru pursued the project aggressively.
Industries and the public in Mysuru believe that running more trains between the two cities could lead to overall economic development of the city. Officials of SWR have developed a DPR for the railway station at Naganahalli, and plans are afoot to model it along the lines of the Yeshwantpur station in Bengaluru.
What will the proposed terminal station at Naganahalli have?
Eight platforms
Rake facility
Water and other such amenities.
