Plans to upgrade Hubli station reach dead end

Plans to upgrade Hubli station reach dead end
The Hindu

HUBLI: The grand plans of South Western Railway to develop the Hubli Railway Station have hit a roadblock for want of land.

South Western Railway General Manager Trilok Nath Perti told presspersons here on Monday that space is a constraint in developing the station. The goods shed abutting the station has to be shifted for the plans to be implemented. The goods shed can be shifted only if alternative land is allotted.

The State Government has promised to make the land available for the purpose at Navalur (midway between Hubli and Dharwad stations). But nothing has been done so far. This despite the issue being considered and promise made at a recent meeting presided over by district in-charge Minister S.R. Morey, Mr. Perti said. He said South Western Railway is pursuing the matter.

"We have big plans for Hubli station. The station has to be revamped. It has to have new tracks, additional platforms, bigger and better waiting rooms and it is even planned to have air-conditioned retiring rooms. Only then we will be able to have newer trains for goods and passenger traffic. It is a five-year plan, if the necessary land is made available," Mr. Perti said.

South Western Railway has taken steps to refurbish the Bangalore Railway Station, which is a premier railway station in the zone and has taken steps to develop Malleswaram and Yeshwantpur stations in Bangalore, he said.

Mr. Perti said as far as the Hubli-Ankola railway line is concerned, the Railways has been working on 48 km of the track.

Of this, 7 km runs through forests for which clearance from the Union Ministry of Environment is yet to come.

"We are ready for the joint presentation required to be made before the Environmental Advisory Committee of the Union Ministry of Environment," Mr. Perti said. The State Government is yet to sign the memorandum of assistance on sharing the cost of the Rs. 1,000-crore project, he said.

Mr. Perti said the gauge conversion of the Bijapur-Gadag line will be completed up to Bagalkot by March and further work of taking the broad-gauge line up to Gadag depended on the financial participation of the State Government. The Railways has overspent its share of money, Mr. Perti added.

The State Government has begun to give its share but the full share has not yet been given, Mr. Perti said.