Passengers' clamour for basic facilities at Bolarum railway station gets louder

Hyderabad: Once again the Bolarum railway station has come into limelight, as it has been left neglected, without any facility of back entrance (west). Passengers are facing hardships due to lack of exit or entry points into the station. Also it has no basic facilities, including a proper ramp or ticket-vending machine. The daily passengers and the travellers’ association have requested SCR officials to take up basic development work at the station. No concrete measures have been taken despite our repeated requests’, they say.

The daily passengers point out that ‘the station does not have a west entrance; almost 100 colonies are located on the western side of the station. If there is no proper access then how can passengers come to station?’ There is just a small gate that is also completely damaged. We were demanding a foot-overbridge from the compound wall so that people can easily enter the station.

Said Murali Krishna, president, Federation of New Bolarum Colonies (FNBC),“the station does not have proper exit points; there is only one main entrance gate at the station. Due to absence of any other exit or entry points, it takes 30 minutes to reach the main entrance. This small development can make a great difference to the station.

Said Rajesh Reddy, a daily passenger, ‘If we need to increase patronage we need basic facilities, including an elevator, ramp, and ticket-vending machine. The Bolarum railway station is strategically located just one km nestled between SH1 Rajiv Rairdari and NH 44. It can cater to larger crowd in the northern part of the city’.

‘When many small stations are renovated why the Bolarum Station is being neglected. We the locals have been demanding only basic facilities, like a proper back entrance along with lifts. Many times we have complained to concerned officials but all fell on deaf ears’.

According to the station officials, it has a stoppage of important trains, including Devagiri. Around 50 trains ply from here. The average footfall is around 500 passengers a day.