Bengaluru’s suburban rail dream inches closer to reality

After decades of wait, foundation stone for the project to be laid on June 20 

Offline and online campaigns carried out by citizens and rail activists in Bengaluru compelled both the State and Union governments to approve the suburban rail project in the city. The Centre gave its nod to the project in October 2020. On June 20, 2022, the suburban rail network will inch closer to becoming reality as Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone for the project.

The project, which comprises four corridors and is estimated to cost ₹15,767 crore, will be implemented by Rail Infrastructure Development Company (Karnataka) Ltd. (K-RIDE), a joint venture of the State government and the Ministry of Railways.

In Phase I, K-RIDE will take up the civil works of Corridor - 2, named Mallige; this network will be built from Baiyappanahalli to Chikkabanavara. The rest of the three lines — KSR Bengaluru to Devanahalli, Kengeri to Whitefield, and Heelalige to Rajankunte — will be taken up for construction at a later stage.

A K-RIDE official said civil works would initially start from points such as Hebbal, Yeshwantpur, and Banaswadi. The Mallige line will have a network of 25 km and 14 stations will come up at various points along the alignment. Asked whether K-RIDE has issued work orders to the construction company chosen to implement the project, the official said, “For some components work orders have been issued and the rest are in progress.”

The official added that K-RIDE was already in possession of a majority of the land to implement the project and private land, to the extent of 12 acres, was being acquired through the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board. The official maintained that approval had been sought from South Western Railway (SWR) on design, integration, and other aspects.

As the city readies for another option for mass transport, it is the non-integration of several modes of transport systems and the absence of easy access points that have been the bane for commuters. At Majestic, passengers are yet to find seamless access points connecting the metro station, railway station, and bus stands.