Bangalore Cantonment railway station to get Rs 525 cr makeover
Bengaluru, Dec 16: The Cantonment Railway station, which is one of the oldest railway stations of Bengaluru, is undergoing a substantive makeover to cater to the increased transportation needs of the city, railway authorities said on Friday.
The remodelling of the station will be done in two phases with the entire project estimated to be completed by 2025.
"The upcoming structure will conserve the existing heritage elements of the historic building. The architectural elevation and facade attempts to capture the spirit of Bengaluru -- the silicon-city -- which breathes technology, without compromising the elements that make up its history, essence and heritage," the South Western Railway said in a statement.
In the first phase, the yard of the Cantonment station is being remodelled at a cost of Rs 45 crore. Two additional island platforms are being constructed. Effectively, four additional platforms will come up, the SWR authorities said.
Three additional lines, which would enable operation of increased number of trains to and from this station, will be laid to reduce the stress on Bengaluru City Railway station, the statement read.
It added that the upgraded yard would be integrated with the quadrupled section between Bengaluru Cantonment and Whitefield.
"The yard will also be integrated with the suburban railway network for the facilitation of seamless mass transportation. Further, a foot overbridge is also being constructed which would connect Borebank Road to Netaji Road for the convenience of passengers/pedestrians," the SWR said.
The renovated Bengaluru Cantonment railway yard is targeted to be completed by February 2023, the statement said.
In the second phase, the station building will be redeveloped making Bengaluru Cantonment a world-class airport-like terminal at a cost of Rs 480 crore, which will be a fully air-conditioned 216-metre wide concourse.
There will be segregated arrival and departure points to avoid congestion and a five-storey multi-level parking facility.
There will also be a roof plaza over the platforms with earmarked space for commercial activities such as retail outlets, food courts and infotainment zone.
The second phase of the project is expected to be completed by December 2025, it said.
The SWR added that the upgraded station will be a green building with rainwater harvesting system, energy-efficient LED lighting, sewage treatment plant and energy conservation systems.
There will be seamless multi-modal integration with local public transport along with well-demarcated pick-up and drop zones.
A glimpse of the proposed design of the to-be redeveloped Bengaluru Cant. Railway Station:
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PM 'blatantly racist" by bringing in skin colour in poll debate: Chidambaram
New Delhi (PTI): Congress leader P Chidambaram on Thursday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of being racist by bringing in skin colour in the poll debate, and said the opposition's support to Yashwant Sinha in the presidential election was not based on the colour of skin.
In a post on X, he said in the last election to the office of President of India, there were two candidates - Droupadi Murmu and Sinha.
While the BJP and its allies supported Murmu, he said 17 Opposition parties, including the Congress, supported Sinha.
"Support for a candidate was not based on the colour of the skin. Opposition to a candidate was also not based on the colour of the skin.Support or opposition was a political decision, and every elector abided by the decision of his or her party," the former union minister said.
"Why did the Hon'ble PM bring the colour of the skin into the election debate," he asked.
"The PM's remarks are completely irrelevant and blatantly racist," the Congress leader alleged.
Prime Minister Modi on Wednesday attacked the Congress over its party leader Sam Pitroda's comments over skin colour and asserted that the countrymen would not tolerate insult on the basis of skin colour.
Hitting out at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Modi said he has now understood that the national party sought to defeat President Murmu in the presidential poll as her "skin colour is dark".
Pitroda's comments that people in the eastern parts of the country resembled the Chinese, while those from the south looked like Africans had kicked up a row.
