PM virtually lays foundation for redevelopment of 2 railway stations in Dakshina Kannada

- Agencies

Mangaluru, 28 Feb 2024: Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually laid the foundation stone for the redevelopment of Bantwal and Subrahmanya Road railway stations under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme (ABSS) on Monday, 26 February.

 

The Bantwal station will be redeveloped under the ABSS scheme at a cost of Rs 28.49 crore, while Subrahmanya Road will undergo redevelopment at a cost of Rs 26.16 crore. PM Modi virtually laid the foundation stone for the redevelopment of 554 railway stations and the inauguration/dedication of 1500 RoBs and RUBs from across the country.

 

Speaking on the occasion, Dakshina Kannada (DK) MP Nalin Kumar Kateel said that over the last 10 years, Dakshina Kannada has received Rs 2,650 crore for various railway projects. Three railway divisions—Palakkad, Mysuru, and Konkan Railway Corporation—come under Dakshina Kannada. The railway electrification work from Mangaluru to Palakkad, Konkan railway stretch, has been completed, and the work from Mangaluru to Bengaluru section is in progress, he said.

 

 

"During my first tenure as MP with Manmohan Singh as Prime Minister, DK district had received Rs 4,500 crore for various development works. In the past 10 years under Modi’s tenure, DK district has received Rs 79,000 crore,” he added.

 

Kabaka railway station has been developed as an Adarsh Station. The government has sanctioned Rs 12.5 crore for Traction substations (TSS) at Neralakatte Railway Station, said Kateel.

 

He also mentioned that for the last 35 years, platforms at Mangaluru Central Railway Station had not been expanded. Now, two more platforms are under development, he said.

 

On the project at Bantwal:

The Bantwal railway station will be redeveloped by enhancing passenger amenities. As part of the redevelopment, provision has been made for a new booking office with a larger concourse area, separate gents and ladies waiting rooms with toilets, and a baby feeding cubicle in the ladies’ waiting room. Additionally, a cafeteria and four catering stalls, toilet blocks, and platform toilets will be developed. Granite flooring will be installed in the station building area, concrete flooring on the remaining platform area, and chequered tiles on the platform edges. Other features include separate shelters for two and four-wheelers, drainage arrangements, rainwater harvesting, widening of the station approach road and entry arch, a 12-metre-wide foot overbridge with a lift, escalators on platform one and one lift, and a ramp on platforms two and three. Furthermore, provisions will be made for CCTV, enhancing WiFi, LED display boards for train arrivals/departures, coach guidance display boards, signages, and improvements to the facade of the station building.