S Lalitha By Express News Service BENGALURU: The congested and jampacked Yesvantpur railway station is undergoing a sea change in terms of passenger amenities and aesthetics under the Railway Ministry’s Station Redevelopment Programme. The second busiest railway station in Bengaluru railway division is having a massive overhaul along with Mysuru and Dharwad stations, also selected under the programme. The pace of development was initially sluggish and the original deadline of November 30 has been given the miss. The new deadline set for completion of the first phase of the work is now March 2020 and the station is buzzing with construction activity. A top railway official told The New Indian Express that the Railway Board is contributing Rs 11.5 crore to upgrade of the station. “The focus in the first phase is the back entry of the station (platform-6 side) that faces the Metro station. The appearance is being completely transformed with a facade comprising a structural erection of 180x20 square metre dimension equipped with aluminium composite and glass panels. It is aimed at giving a sophisticated, airport-like feel to this entrance,” he said. Apart from enhancing the aesthetic appeal, many passenger amenities are put in place at the station which sees an average of 50,000 footfalls a day. “The station has 38 originating trains, 38 terminating trains and 36 pass through trains on an average day,” said A N Krishna Reddy, Senior Divisional Commercial Manager of Bengaluru Railway Division. A four-lane road is being laid to offer a good connectivity to the station, he said. “A bus bay is planned so that buses can drop passengers right inside the station premises. A separate space for parking Ola vehicles, specific lanes for cabs, autorickshaws and private vehicles are also planned,” he said. The general waiting hall, ladies waiting hall and the upper-class waiting room have already been completed at a cost of Rs 50 lakh. “Sophisticated sanitary fittings, furniture and tiles have been used to upgrade them,” another official said. Rough granite has been used in relaying floors of platforms. Tactile tiling to help the visually impaired manage on their own is an interesting addition. The main entry which faces the market will be taken care of during the second phase, he added.

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