Title - Yelahanka railway station cries for attention

BANGALORE: Are you one of those who wants to board a train at Yelahanka Railway Station? If so, ensure that you attend to the nature’s call before entering the railway station because the toilet facilities are unavailable if the railway authorities are unapproached.Around 2,200 passengers visit Yelahanka Railway Station to reach various destinations in the country and 15 trains make a brief halt here daily.There is only one toilet for men and the other for women. However, these toilets are locked. The railway authorities are kind enough to indicate that key of the toilet is available with the station master on duty. “It is ridiculous to ask the station master for key to use the toilet,” said Jagan Mohan, who was waiting for the train at the station.If the broken concrete block of foot-over-bridge at the station is any indication, one can imagine the apathy of railway authorities. Instead of filling the gap with a new concrete block, the authorities had filled the gap with a name board of Yelahanka Railway Station.“It is disgusting to walk on the name board of Yelahanka Railway Station. I do not know what made the railway authorities to use the name board to fill the gap. I expect them to remove the name board and fill the gap with a concrete block,” said N Murali of Yelahanka.The residents of Yelahanka have been demanding the railway authorities to construct an underpass to make it convenient for them to reach Doddaballapur road.

“The railway crossing is closed permanently. We have already submitted memorandums to the then railway ministers such as Nitish Kumar, Lalu Prasad Yadav and minister of state for railways like Basan Gowda Patil and General Manager, South Western Railways requesting them to construct an underpass or railway under bridge. It will be the nearest route from Yelahanka Old Town to Yelahanka New Town. We are also demanding the railway authorities to ensure Kurla Express, Rajadhani Express, Samparka Express and Nagarcoil Express trains to stop at Yelahanka station for the benefit of Yelahanka residents,” said AB Shiva Kumar, president, Forum for Citizens’ Rights, Yelahanka.

Meanwhile, S Mani, Divisional Railway Manager,  said that the passengers can avail the toilet key from the station master on duty. “It was locked to avoid misuse by people from nearby areas. We planned to handover it over to  a contractor to convert it pay-and-use toilet,” said Mani.

On construction of a railway under bridge near the station, the divisional railway manager said that the railways have many plans for the development of Yelahanka Railway Station. He added, “We will take all measures to add more facilities for railway passengers at the station.”

However, the residents of Yelahanka Old Town are not ready to trust the railway authorities since the demand was pending since many years. Will the railway authorities pull up their socks to improve the amenities at the station apart from constructing the much needed railway under bridge? The citizens of Yelahanka have to wait and watch.