Bangalore Cantonment railway station to get Rs 525 cr makeover

The Bangalore Cantonment Railway Station will get a major makeover, including additional platforms for suburban rail operations and redevelopment of the building, at a cost of Rs 525 crore to cater to the increased transportation needs of the city, the South Western Railway (SWR) said on Friday.

The station which started operations in the 1860s will be developed in two phases. Work on remodelling the station yard at a cost of Rs 45 crores has begun and will be completed by February 2023 while the remaining work will be completed in three years.

This includes construction of two new island platforms, effectively adding four additional platforms, and three new lines to enable operation of increased number of trains from/to this station and reduce the stress on KSR Bengaluru station.

The remodelled yard would be integrated with the quadrupled section between Bengaluru Cantonment and Whitefield as well as the upcoming suburban railway network to facilitate seamless mass transportation. A foot-over-bridge will also be built to connect Borebank Road to Netaji Road.

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In the second phase, the station building will be redeveloped while conserving the existing heritage elements of the historic building. Airport-like terminal will be built at a cost of Rs 480 crore to enable seamless multi-modal integration with local public transport. The station would be redeveloped as a city centre, making space for 24x7 commercial activities apart from transportation.

The new set up will have 216-m wide air-concourse, segregated arrival/departure points, a multi-level parking, roof plaza over the platforms with earmarked space for commercial activities.

The project will also turn the station buildings green by including a rain water harvesting system, energy sewage treatment plant and energy conservation systems. Braille Maps, ramps, lifts and subway will be provided for the convenience of differently abled passengers, the release said.

Spirit of Bengaluru

The SWR said the architectural elevation/façade will capture the spirit of Bengaluru as the silicon-city and start-up capital of India. The pillars supporting the roof will have the shape of a flower at the location where they join the roof signifying Bengaluru as the ‘garden city’. Further, the horizontal structure linking different pillars are in the shape of a flute depicting the harmonious blend of technology in garden city.

The project will be executed in engineering-procurement-construction (EPC) mode where a single agency will plan, procure and execute all the aspects of the project. The letter of appointment was given to Delhi-based Varindera Construction Pvt Ltd on December 12 with a project deadline of 36 months.
As part of the project, the SWR will coordinate with the BBMP to widen the Cantonment Station Road. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had laid the foundation stone for redevelopment of the station on June 20, 2022.