This has been enabled by commissioning of automatic signalling up to KSR Bengaluru

Commuters are hopeful that suburban railway trains will run on schedule with the South Western Railways (SWR) commissioning automatic signalling on the entire line between Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna City Railway Station (KSR Bengaluru) and Whitefield.

In February this year, automatic signalling became operational between Bengaluru Cantonment and Whitefield. The remaining 4.4 km stretch of the line from KSR Bengaluru to Cantonment Railway station was commissioned on Friday.

Ashok Kumar Verma, divisional railway manager of Bengaluru division, said that commissioning of automatic signalling on the 23 km stretch from KSR Bengaluru to Whitefield will ease congestion at the City Railway station and ensure that trains run on schedule. “Operation of trains from KSR Bengaluru towards Whitefield was well received by people who rely on the service for their daily commute to work. Now, trains can leave the station one after another without waiting for clearance from the section ahead. This helps increase service efficiency,” he said.

Provision of auto signalling between KSR Bengaluru and Bengaluru Cantonment was sanctioned in March 2018. The SWR has spent ₹3.22 crore for the work.

A release from SWR states that trains can move between KSR Bengaluru and Bangalore Cantonment stations with a frequency of five minute instead of 10 minutes earlier. At present, nearly 110 trains ply between these stations.

Officials said that there is no immediate plan to increase the number of trains plying between KSR Bengaluru to Whitefield.