Yeshwanthpur Metro, railway stations won’t be linked soon

BENGALURU: After eight years of delay, work on a bridge to connect Yeshwanthpur Railway and Metro stations, begun by Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) last month, has ground to a halt. The Foot Over Bridge (FOB) on Tumakuru Road side will not come up in the near future too, thanks to a decision by Railways to redevelop Yeshwanthpur/ Yesvantpur Railway Station (YPR).

The FOB work began after sustained pressure from rail activists and passengers for pedestrian connectivity, to facilitate an interchange between the two modes of transport, ever since Yeshwanthpur Metro Station on the Green Line was inaugurated in March 2014.

BMRCL had contracted the work at a cost of Rs 1.62 crore to Hombale Constructions and Private Limited. The bridge, to run 90 metres long and 4 metres wide, from the Metro station end was to link with the existing FOB of the railway station from Platform One end.A senior Metro official told TNIE, “We had carried out some preliminary work in connection with our FOB. However, at a meeting held a fortnight ago, Railways asked us not to go ahead with construction as Yeshwanthpur station was in for major redevelopment.”

Thankfully, only 5 per cent of the overall work was completed, including building of trenches for utilities, and foundation work in a few spots. “Unless the final shape of the upgraded railway station is not ready, any structure built by BMRCL may have to be demolished if the alignment doesn’t match,” he added.