In good news for frequent commuters, Bengaluru city is expected to get the second corridor of the long impending suburban rail project ready in just over two years, according to Karnataka Minister for Infrastructure Development MB Patil.
The minister set a deadline and said work on the 25-kilometre long corridor between Benniganahalli and Chikkabanavara will be completed with the next 26 months, news agency PTI reported.
“The BSRP project which runs parallel to the existing South-Western Railway lines has its challenges. However, these will be resolved to ensure completion of the project within 26 months. Officials have been instructed to work towards completing the works related to all four corridors by 2026. Even if it gets delayed due to some unforeseen reasons the project would be ready by 2028,” Patil said, while speaking to reporters on Friday.
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“So far, 10 to 15 per cent of work has been achieved related to corridor-2 and ground works will be over in the next 10 months. The ongoing RUB (Railway Under Bridge) at Shampura will also be completed by then,” he added.
In total, the Bengaluru Suburban Rail Project needs 157 acres of railway land and officials are working on acquiring the same, Patil said. K-RIDE, the Rail Infrastructure Development Company of Karnataka, will need government land, defence land, railway land as well as private land for the project.
Around five acres of private land has been acquired, which will be used to lay tracks, apart from which, government-owned land of about 2.7 acres has also been acquired, Patil said. Officials are also working on clearing existing encroachments on the railway land, he added.
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K-RIDE needs defence land of around 7.38 acres in areas of Jalahalli, Nagawara, and CQAE near Yeswanthpur. Permissions have been obtained by defence authorities for these locations, the minister stated.
“After completing Corridor-2, works related to Corridor-3 between Bengaluru and Devanahalli Airport and Corridor-4 between Kengeri and Whitefield will be taken up,” Patil said.
There is also a proposal to extend the project to Chikkaballapura, Mysuru, Magadi, Tumakuru, Gowribidanuru, Kolar, and Hosur, which if approved, would expand the project from 149 km to 452 km.
“Tenders have been invited to construct 12 stations under EPC mode (Engineering, Procurement, Construction) along the stretch of corridor 2 and the tender process will be finalised on August 31. The tender process for civil works of corridor-4 is over and bidders will be awarded the works soon. Supply of the first batch of 10 trains will begin in October 2025,” Patil added.
(With PTI inputs)
