Started a year ago, Subrahmanya Road Station development project under Amrit Bharat Station Scheme achieves less than 50% progress

Slow progress in development of Subrahmanya Road Railway Station despite being under Prime Minister's Gati-Shakti, disappointing public and patrons.

Notwithstanding being brought under the Prime Minister’s Gati-Shakti, the development of Subrahmanya Road Railway Station (SBHR) that caters to thousands of pilgrims visiting temple town Kukke Subrahmanya, which was inaugurated on August 6, 2023, has not even achieved 50% physical progress, regret general public and train patrons.

There was neither Gati (speed), nor Shakti (force) in the ₹23.73 crore project under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Amrit Bharat Station Scheme (ABSS), regretted Perasad K G Nettana, President of Subrahmanya Road Railway Balakedarara Samithi. Very few senior officials from South Western Railway’s Mysuru Division visited the station to inspect and hasten the work ever since it was launched virtually by Mr. Modi, he told The Hindu.

Located at Nettana in Kadaba taluk, about 12 km from Kukke Subrahmanya, SBHR predominantly caters to the pilgrims visiting Kukke Subrahmanya, Dharmasthala and Southadka. They travel by Bengaluru-Kannur-Bengaluru, Bengaluru-Karwar-Bengaluru, Bengaluru-Murdeshwar-Bengaluru, Yeshwantpur-Mangaluru Junction/ Karwar-Yeshwantpur and Vijayapura-Mangaluru Junction-Vijayapura Express trains every day.

Four stations

SBHR and Bantwal under SWR and Mangaluru Central and Mangaluru Junction under Southern Railway, were chosen for development under ABSS in February 2023. While Mr. Modi launched the ABSS works in August 2023, SWR began the work from September in SBHR and Bantwal.

The scope of work at SBHR included improving the station building facade maintaining the existing Subrahmanya Temple theme, improving passenger concourse, retiring rooms, dormitory, separate waiting halls for men and women passengers, platform shelters for PFs 1,2 and 3, foot over bridge, lift, escalators, concrete circulating area, welcome arch at the Uppinangady-Sburahmanya Main Road etc. The project was supposed to get completed in June 2024.

Snail’s pace