Growing traffic leaves KR Puram railway station with no space for expansion

With areas such as Whitefield, KR Puram (Krishnarajapuram), Baiyappanahalli, Hoskote and Marathahalli witnessing rapid development, the KR Puram Railway station is finding it hard to handle the pressure. Although at least 30 passenger (one way) and 10 goods trains pass through the station, there is hardly any scope for its expansion. On one side of it runs the Old Madras Road and on the other side stretches many homes.

Neither the platforms nor the foot overbridge was built to handle the crowd that throngs the station every time a train arrives.  As passengers get off the trains and head to the foot overbridge for the exit, long queues are a common sight at the foot of the bridge  where pick-pockets and thieves have a field day.

“They sit next to you, take your wallet or luggage and melt in the crowd before you realise what has happened,” said Syed Samir, who came to receive his friend at the station. The little land that the station has draws rowdy elements from the neighbourhoods. “There have been major fights in this area which is why they have cut the bushes and grass for more visibility,” Samir said.

KR Puram station hardly has any security checks. Barely  10 personnel from Railway Protection Force are posted at  the station. There are no CCTVs either installed at important points.
For about two months, the water supply to the station was so poor that the two pay-and-use toilets at the station as well as about 12 drinking water taps went  dry leaving passengers angry.
“I would like to use the toilet. But since it is locked and they say there is no water, I’m waiting for my train to reach here as soon as possible,” said Mishl Gazal, a passenger.

“These are basic facilities that should be provided at any railway station and authorities must ensure that the toilets are working,” he said. Sanju Singh, who runs a stall on platform 2 , said he recently boarded a train to Cantonment station just to use the toilet.

One of the attendants at the station said: “Some say there is a pipe burst and this is being repaired. Others say there is no supply. I am not sure. But most days we don’t have any water and on those days the toilets can’t be used.”

On Sunday, since the toilet was locked, he made a makeshift bed and slept on the platform.
Like in Baiyappanahalli railway station, accessibility is poor for physically challenged in KR Puram station. While platform 4 and platform 1 can be accessed as slopes have been provided there, platform 3 and 4 can be accessed only by using stairs.
Crossing the road from the railway station is dangerous. With no facilities for pedestrians or traffic signals, passengers are at risk of being hit by vehicles which come from the hanging bridge and turn at the station.
The RPF personnel posted at the station are too few to ensure that  people do not cross the tracks and get hit by trains.
“We have a problem with people crossing the tracks, especially considering that there are lots of homes nearby. We do our best and even book cases. But we have only 10 men. When we do book cases, we also have to take them to courts so they can pay their fine. It is only when we have men at the station that we book cases against trespassers,” said an RPF official requesting anonymity.
merlin.francis@dnaindia.netMerlin Francis, Arvind GR
l Bangalore
With areas such as Whitefield, KR Puram (Krishnarajapuram), Baiyappanahalli, Hoskote and Marathahalli witnessing rapid development, the KR Puram Railway station is finding it hard to handle the pressure.
Although at least 30 passenger (one way) and 10 goods trains pass through the station, there is hardly any scope for its expansion. On one side of it runs the Old Madras Road and on the other side stretches many homes.
Neither the platforms nor the foot overbridge was built to handle the crowd that throngs the station every time a train arrives.
 As passengers get off the trains and head to the foot overbridge for the exit, long queues are a common sight at the foot of the bridge  where pick-pockets and thieves have a field day.
“They sit next to you, take your wallet or luggage and melt in the crowd before you realise what has happened,” said Syed Samir, who came to receive his friend at the station.
The little land that the station has draws rowdy elements from the neighbourhoods.
“There have been major fights in this area which is why they have cut the bushes and grass for more visibility,” Samir said.
KR Puram station hardly has any security checks. Barely  10 personnel from Railway Protection Force are posted at  the station. There are no CCTVs either installed at important points.
For about two months, the water supply to the station was so poor that the two pay-and-use toilets at the station as well as about 12 drinking water taps went  dry leaving passengers angry.
“I would like to use the toilet. But since it is locked and they say there is no water, I’m waiting for my train to reach here as soon as possible,” said Mishl Gazal, a passenger.
“These are basic facilities that should be provided at any railway station and authorities must ensure that the toilets are working,” he said. Sanju Singh, who runs a stall on platform 2 , said he recently boarded a train to Cantonment station just to use the toilet.

One of the attendants at the station said: “Some say there is a pipe burst and this is being repaired. Others say there is no supply. I am not sure. But most days we don’t have any water and on those days the toilets can’t be used.”

On Sunday, since the toilet was locked, he made a makeshift bed and slept on the platform.
Like in Baiyappanahalli railway station, accessibility is poor for physically challenged in KR Puram station. While platform 4 and platform 1 can be accessed as slopes have been provided there, platform 3 and 4 can be accessed only by using stairs.

Crossing the road from the railway station is dangerous. With no facilities for pedestrians or traffic signals, passengers are at risk of being hit by vehicles which come from the hanging bridge and turn at the station.

The RPF personnel posted at the station are too few to ensure that  people do not cross the tracks and get hit by trains. “We have a problem with people crossing the tracks, especially considering that there are lots of homes nearby. We do our best and even book cases. But we have only 10 men. When we do book cases, we also have to take them to courts so they can pay their fine. It is only when we have men at the station that we book cases against trespassers,” said an RPF official requesting anonymity.