Bengaluru: By next week, it will take you only 15 minutes to travel from Byyappanahalli to Whitefield!
“On August 18, the suburban rail service will be inaugurated from Byyappanahalli to Whitefield. We have put in a lot of efforts to make this happen. Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu will launch it," MP P.C. Mohan told Deccan Chronicle, adding that the exact timings and frequency will be announced soon.
Residents of ITPL, Whitefield and surrounding areas had been demanding the suburban railway service to get relief from congestion caused by Metro work. Mohan had written to CM Siddaramaiah too about it.
CPRO of South Western Railway Vijaya confirmed the inauguration of the service, saying, “1 DEMU train will be inaugurated next week from Byyappanahalli to Whitefield. Minister Suresh Prabhu might launch it through video-conferencing."
Mr Krishna Prasad, member, Karnataka Railway Vedike, said, “This will surely be helpful and will especially cater to the software crowd in ITPL. It is a step in the right direction and will bring travel time down to 15 minutes.” The route will have four stations Byyappanahalli, K.R. Puram, Hoodi and Whitefield. The citizen group, Whitefield Rising, was demanding a short loop train service to start before the Metro begins digging up roads. However, that did not happen, resulting in commuters complaining of narrower roads and nightmarish traffic. This move by the Railways is expected to ease the burden on the streets.
