Will local trains between E-City to Heelalige become a reality?
Do you commute daily to Electronic City from Heelalige? If yes, soon this commuting might become a lot more easier.
Due to lack of Commuter Rail Services (CRS) in Bengaluru, people travelling from the city’s outskirts to their respective workplaces have to manage on their own. In case of Electronic City, Heelalige Railway Station is a good stop point for many commuters as several companies provide pickup services from here.
In order to address this issue, Electronic City Industries Association (ELCIA) is trying hard to push the proposal for local trains connecting Bengaluru City with the Heelalige Railway Station. In addition to being a low-cost solution, it also addresses the issue of congestion in the city.
The association has also offered to take care of the maintenance at Heelalige Railway Station.
Current Situation
At present, there are two commuter trains in the morning that runs from Bengaluru to Hosur, which has a stoppage at Heelalige. Thus, upgradation for this is the need of the hour. Also, special focus should be on the number of daily trips and coach capacities during the peak hours of the day.
Who will Benefit?
Spread over 332 acres, Electronic City in Anekal Taluk is one of the largest IT hubs of the city. It houses several major IT and manufacturing companies such as Infosys, HP, TCS, Wipro, BHEL, to name a few.
Currently, E-City is home to more than 180 firms and employs about 125,000 people directly, as informed by Ramadas Kamath, executive vice president, Infosys to Economic Times.
Thus, local trains would have a great impact on the daily commuters.
Who is the pioneer?
NR Narayana Murthy, founder of software giant Infosys, was the first person to bring this idea to the table. He has been rigorously following up on this proposal with the Central Government.
Interestingly, all the IT and manufacturing industries along with several SMEs are very supportive towards this proposal. The association is also planning for a BMTC feeder bus service between Electronic City and the railway station.
Will the local trains become a reality in Bangalore? Well, to answer this let’s wait and watch!
