Platform troubles bring trains to a crawl on Bengaluru's outskirts

BENGALURU: It's not just motorists who endure nightmarish commutes in Bengaluru. Train users too are facing the brunt of congestion on railway tracks, especially on the city's outskirts.

Passengers are complaining about long detention of trains due to inadequate platform facilities and congestion on the main lines. They say little has changed even after Sir MV Terminal commenced operations in June 2022.


"Shivamogga to Chikkabanavara distance is 268km, intercity train covers it in four hours. Chikkabanavara to Yeshwantpur is 7km, and it takes 80 minutes to cover that distance. Train or bus or flight, entering Bengaluru is a nightmare. Jam on roads, jam on railway tracks," an exasperated passenger tweeted recently.

Another passenger's tweet read: "Mysuru to Kengeri (125km) express trains take 1 hour 45 minutes, but Kengeri to KSR Bengaluru City (12 km) takes 1 hour (sic)." There are similar complaints about Yeshwantpur-bound trains being detained at Doddaballapur.

"Every day, Panchaganga Express (16596) is getting delayed by an hour to reach KSR Bengaluru City, reaching KSR Bengaluru after 8.15am, instead of 7.15am. Every day, stopping this train at Chikkabanavara or Nelamangala station for more than 30-45 minutes is not at all acceptable," lamented a regular rail user on his Twitter handle.

At present, about 60 pairs of trains originate/terminate at KSR Bengaluru City, nearly 50 pairs at Yeshwantpur and about 30 at Sir MV Terminal. Though South Western Railway could make an additional 20 pairs operational from Sir MV Terminal, it has decided to go slow on its plan to shift trains from the other two terminals because of opposition from passengers given the poor road accessibility to Sir MV Terminal.

KN Krishna Prasad, founder-member of the NGO Karnataka Railway Vedike, said: "In addition to non-availability of platforms, their short length is another issue. At KSR Bengaluru City, for instance, platforms 6 and 7 cannot handle 24-coach ICF trains. Trains coming from Mysuru side can't use platforms 1-4. They need to relay the lines but there is no political will."

According to him, platforms 2 and 3 at Yeshwantpur are being used by passing trains, while platforms 4-6 are for those originating and terminating at the terminal. "Goods movement is also high near Yeshwantpur, forcing passenger trains to use the loop lines at slow speed," he said. Bengaluru divisional railway manager Shyam Singh was unavailable for comment.