#supportnammarailu

With increased burden on roads, Bengaluru needs suburban trains to decongest the city. Pic: Shree D N Bengaluru’s suburban railway got a one-line mention in Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu’s speech on Railway Budget 2016-17. “Bengaluru, the technology hub of the country, warrants a comprehensive suburban system. We will partner with State Government in this endeavour,” he said while presenting railway budget, in the Loksabha on February 25, 2016. Assurances on commuter railway are not new to Bangaloreans. The railway budget speech by Mamata Banerjee In 2010-11 mentions about partnering with the states for improving the suburban railway system. Chief Minister…

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has reached out to Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu, Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu and MPs from Bengaluru in order to garner support for commuter railway in Bengaluru, by means of various letters, ahead of Railway Budget 2016-17. A letter dated January 6th, 2016, draws the attention of the Railway Minister towards the importance of commuter railway network for the city of Bengaluru. It says the process of preparing a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the phase - I of the commuter railway is underway, and points to an earlier letter from the government of Karnataka to…

  Bengaluru this week January 28th 2016     CITIZEN MATTERS Bangalore's own interactive newsmagazine Speak up, it's your city!     This week, we present to you several stories that will make you think about the time we spend on the road - What is the toll that bad roads take on the economy? Should Bengaluru adopt the odd-even policy? Does the city really need dedicated lanes for cyclists? How a new railway track to Tirupathi could possibly decongest traffic on Old Madras Road. We also invite you to collaborate with us to document Bengaluru for a new series. This…

Tirupathi, located on the foot hills of Eastern Ghats, is in Andhra Pradesh State. It is the most popular pilgrimage centre in South India. About 20 million devotees visit Tirupathi in a year ie; about 37,500 pilgrims per day, out of which about 15,000 ie; about 30% are from Bengaluru side. The number of pilgrims was about 23 lakh during May 2015. But how well-connected is Tirupathi from Bengaluru? Is there a provision for improvisation? Existing connectivity : a) By road: The distance between Bengaluru and Tirupathi is 250 km by road. The existing connectivity is mainly by road. The…

  Bengaluru this week January 21st 2016     CITIZEN MATTERS Bangalore's own interactive newsmagazine Speak up, it's your city!     Can you imagine if it was possible to take a train for your commute within Bengaluru? For starters, it would be cheaper, it would decongest the roads, and you’d possibly get to where you wanted much quicker. This may become a possibility if you extend your support to the Namma Railu campaign. In this edition, we tell you how you can #SupportNammaRailu, ahead of the railway budget and beyond. Also read the latest updates on what is happening with…

Why is the city of Bengaluru full of traffic? Why does everyone prefer private vehicles as opposed to public transport? If one decides to use public transport, will s/he be able to do it comfortably? The answer to all the above questions is: Bengaluru doesn’t have a reliable, predictable public transport network yet, which forces people to use private vehicles. Result: Traffic jams, with average speeds of 6-9 kmph on road! Bengaluru has been blessed with good rail network (Check the list here). This can be used effectively to beat the traffic woes of the city. In fact, many parts…