Work begins on foot over bridge linking KR Puram railway, Metro stations in Bengaluru

BENGALURU: The intersection of Old Madras Road and Outer Ring Road at KR Puram is a nightmare for pedestrians.

For passengers, especially senior citizens and kids coming out of the railway station, getting to the other side of the road can be an ordeal. With KR Puram Metro station likely to be operational by March, passenger movement at the junction is expected to go up. However, there is a ray of hope for pedestrians as Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited has begun construction of a foot overbridge (FOB) connecting the Metro and railway stations.

"The 30-metre FOB will link the concourse level of KR Puram Metro station and the existing parking area near the railway station. Foundation work in the middle of the road has started," said BL Yashwanth Chavan, chief PRO of BMRCL.

But he was non-committal on whether the FOB would be ready by the time Whitefield Metro is operational. "Railways is yet to hand over land near KR Puram railway station. Once it is done, work will be completed," he said.

A South Western Railway official said: "BMRCL has to acquire land from BBMP in exchange for railway land and hand it over to the railways." Shyam Singh, Bengaluru divisional railway manager, said: "In principle, nod has already been given by railways subject to compliance of conditions." KR Puram is one of the busiest railway stations in the city. KR Puram Metro will also be an interchange station (Purple and Blue lines) once ready. Many passengers have been demanding an FOB at KR Puram for a long time.

"BMRCL should provide an elevator/lift also for the proposed FOB," Vinay B, a regular passenger, said. Another passenger, Hitesh K, a techie, said the junction is always choked because of lack of FOB/subway for pedestrians. "SWR and BMRCL should ensure it gets completed without any delay," he said.


Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India. Don't miss daily games like Crossword, Sudoku, and Mini Crossword.