Bengaluru: 26 rly level crossings reduce traffic to snail's pace in Silicon Valley of India

Bengaluru: The Silicon Valley of India is often in news for all the wrong reasons, including pothole-ridden roads that cause deaths, though the Karnataka capital boasts of having world's top companies. Adding to these defects are 26 railway level crossings, that reduce vehicular traffic to a snail's pace besides triggering traffic jams. Serpentine queues of vehicles on either side of the railway track are a common sight every day.

Of these, six level crossings are there between Banaswadi and Hebbal; three between Carmelram Railway Station - Byappanahalli, Hebbal - Yeshavantpur and Channasandra - Yelahanka.

As the city is growing in every direction, the problem of vehicular traffic continues to plague the city - the railway level crossings contributing no less to this. People come across three level crossings from Krantiveera Sangoli Raiyanna station to Kengeri – a tedious and time-consuming exercise.

One is located in the centre of the city, next to the Malleshwaram Railway Station and a number of trains pass from Krantiveera Sangoli Rayanna station to Yeshwantpur. This means motorists are required to wait at least 15 to 20 minutes for each train to pass. To clear heavy vehicular traffic, sometimes trains are stopped and passengers forced to wait for over 30 excruciating minutes. According to Rahul Prakash, a regular commuter, at times it takes the train passengers about 20 minutes to reach Yeshwantpur from Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna station.

Although the trains coming from Tumkur side are fast, it takes them at least half an hour to reach Yeshwantpur station after they enter the city limits because green signal is delayed at the level crossings to clear vehicular traffic on the road, said a railway activist.

Motorists constantly struggle to cross the level crossing near Dinnur main road, Frazer town, Pottery town, Soladevanahalli and Shettihalli. The railway gate opens only after trains pass. Each train takes at least 15-20 minutes to pass – a painful waiting for motorists, particularly those in a hurry to reach their destination.

The South Western Railway and local administrations have jointly carried out the construction of flyovers or underpass to remove the level crossing in several places. Still, there are 26 level crossings in the city.

There are plans underway to build three-underpasses and remove the level crossings. The SWR has prepared a DPR (detailed project report) to build railway bridges near Pottery Town, Fraser Town and East Bengaluru and the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has come forward to provide Rs 15 crore. The Bengaluru Bruhat Mahanagara Palike has agreed to fund the railway underpass on Dinnur main road.

SWR Chief Public Relations Officer Anish Hegde said that step-by-step efforts are being taken to reduce the number of crossings

Work on railway bridges is in progress near Bellandur and Kalattur Dinne. He explained that SWR constructed 77 railway bridges and 388 underpasses since 2014.