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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Silver defies gravity; hits another record of Rs 2.92 lakh/kg in Delhi
New Delhi (PTI): Silver price extended its record-setting rally for the sixth straight day by rising Rs 3,600 to Rs 2,92,600 per kg in the national capital on Friday amid sustained buying by stockists, according to the All India Sarafa Association.
However, gold of 99.9 per cent purity retreated from its all-time high level and declined by Rs 1,100 to Rs 1,46,200 per 10 grams (inclusive of all taxes) from Rs 1,47,300 per 10 grams in the previous session.
Silver had closed at Rs 2,89,000 per kilogram on Thursday.
Traders said silver remained resilient on the back of persistent industrial offtake, shrugging off weak global trends.
The white metal has now climbed 20.16 per cent, or Rs 49,100, in just six sessions, up from Rs 2,43,500 per kilogram on January 8.
Silver continues to outpace gold for the second consecutive year, delivering 22.4 per cent returns.
Meanwhile, spot gold and silver extended their decline for the second straight day in the international markets, with prices dipping amid a stronger US dollar and fading geopolitical risk premium after reduced tensions in the Middle East.
Spot gold fell by USD 12.46, or 0.27 per cent, to USD 4,603.51 per ounce.
"Spot gold is trading 0.25 per cent down at around USD 4,606 per ounce. The yellow metal is under pressure as the US strike on Iran has been averted," Praveen Singh, Head of Commodities, Mirae Asset ShareKhan, said.
Spot silver fell 2.26 per cent, or USD 2.08, to USD 90.33 per ounce on Friday.
In the previous session, the white metal had increased to a fresh record of USD 93.57 per ounce before plunging nearly 8 per cent to an intraday low of USD 86.30 per ounce after the US administration refrained from imposing an import tax on silver and other critical metals.
The metal had settled at USD 92.34 per ounce on Thursday.
"Precious metals eased on Friday after touching record highs earlier in the week, pressured by a firm US dollar and reduced expectations of an imminent Federal Reserve interest rate cut," Gaurav Garg, Research Analyst at Lemonn Markets Desk, said.
He added that underlying fundamentals remain supportive for the precious metals, with gold benefiting from persistent global economic uncertainty and central bank buying, while silver continues to draw strength from industrial demand, particularly from the green energy and electronics sectors.
However, strong US jobs data boosted the dollar, triggering near-term profit-taking across precious metals, Garg said.
"We remain constructive on the medium to long-term outlook, especially for silver, citing ongoing supply deficits and accelerating industrial consumption as factors that could drive prices to fresh highs despite short-term volatility.
"In the Indian market, bullion prices also hovered near record levels, supported by currency dynamics," he added.
