Countless multimodal commuter issues plague railway stations in city

Railway stations in Bengaluru serve as a crucial link for intercity and intracity commutes for a large population in the city. However, some of the major stations in the city don’t have safe and accessible multimodal commuter connectivity. Although some railway stations have foot overbridges or subways, they are disconnected with the other modes of transportation such as bus stops and the metro, are not disability-friendly, or are insufficient to handle commuter load. A reality check by DH exposed the gaps in five such stations that prevent seamless multimodal transportation in the city.

Whitefield

Although there is a foot-over bridge, connecting the railway station to the BMTC bus stand and the Whitefield (Kadugodi) metro station, passengers often find it inconvenient and time- consuming to take that route. “People prefer to cross the railway tracks and jump over the compound to catch buses,” said Somu, a private firm employee who travels from Bangarapet to Whitefield every day.  A temporary closure of a part of the bridge forces passengers to walk a kilometre-long detour. Passengers DH spoke to also pointed out the lack of multiple entry/exit points, elevators and frequent trains forces people to rush and find shortcuts. Women could be seen struggling to scale the five-foot station compound; many said they would frequently get hurt while doing so. People also use another trail, a small opening in the compound that opens the way to Patalamma Layout, on the eastern side of the station. 

Krishnarajapuram

A foot-over bridge links the Krishnarajapuram metro station and the railway station but the lack of ramps or elevators makes it inaccessible for people with disabilities and the elderly, besides people carrying their luggage.

Outside the railway station, barricades along the footpath block direct access to the bus stop in front of it. Rajalakshmi (60), a regular commuter from Chennai, said, “We have to walk extra with all our luggage to catch a bus. Simply stepping off the footpath would have been enough.”

A slope at the western end of the station offers an alternative connection between platforms for people who cannot climb the foot-over bridge connecting platforms inside the railway station but it significantly increases the walking distance to over half a kilometre to reach the station exit.

Majestic

While there is direct connectivity between the Krantivira Sangolli Rayanna railway station and the KSR metro station via an overbridge, it doesn’t help commuters trying to access buses or cab services. Most commuters end up at the main gate of the KSR railway station at Majestic as it is easier to access auto-rickshaws or cabs. 

A subway connects the railway station to the metro, the KSRTC and BMTC bus stations but does not have prominent signage boards, risking passengers’ confusion. The skywalk outside the railway station had a functional elevator only on the metro station’s side when DH checked on Saturday but its entry is obscured from view. The elevator on the other side of the overbridge is frequently dysfunctional, said Imran, the security guard of the overbridge.

Many passengers told DH that they prefer taking auto-rickshaws or cabs from the station directly to avoid climbing up and down these facilities. 

Yeswantpur

If bus commuters from Goraguntepalyas-side want to reach the railway station, they risk their safety getting down in the middle of the road in between the Yeswantpur and Sandal Soap Factory metro stations and jogging across the road.

While passengers via metro can access the railway station and vice versa through a staircase, they are not seamlessly connected. Additionally, passengers coming from the market area cannot access the metro directly, risking their safety by crossing the railway tracks or using a defunct sewage-filled underbridge which is almost 500 metres away from the railway station.

Sir M Visvesvaraya Terminal, Baiyappanahalli 

SMVT is infamous for its disconnect with the metro and bus stops to the city, despite being less than two kilometres away from the Swami Vivekananda Road metro station. Although the back gate of the Baiyappanahalli metro station seems closer to the SMVT railway station, there is no foot-over bridge to directly access it. BMTC runs 48 buses from and to Majestic, Silk Board and Yeshwantpur bus stands every day but it is not a popular choice among passengers. “Getting to SMVT and returning home is always a challenge,” noted several passengers who were seen waiting for cabs and autos outside the railway station.

Despite the presence of a foot-over bridge linking the railway station with the BMTC bus stand and the Whitefield (Kadugodi) metro station passengers often find this route inconvenient and time-consuming. Many opt to cross the railway tracks directly and jump over the compound wall to access buses more quickly.

‘Sufficient funds available’

Urban transport expert Sanjeev Dyamannavar said, “Even at Majestic the metro railway and bus stations are not properly connected to make it encouraging enough for commuters to access them. People should be able to walk on the same level not go up and down multiple times. There are sufficient funds available to fix this” he said. He added that another issue is that none of the stations have any signage boards that indicate directions bus routes or upcoming metro trains with the timings to benefit commuters.