BENGALURU: After Larsen & Toubro (L&T) terminated contracts to execute Corridors 2 (C-2) and 4 (C-4) of the Bengaluru Suburban Rail Project (BSRP), progress stands at 28 per cent and 6 per cent for C-2 and C-4 respectively -- overall 18.5 per cent -- after spending nearly Rs 2,000 crore, according to South Western Railways (SWR). The project completion deadline has been pushed from 2026 to 2027 or 2028, subject to delay over land acquisition and other hurdles.
The BSRP was to be completed by October 2026 as per the sanction letter; however, on June 20, 2022, PM Narendra Modi had said the project would be completed in 40 months.
SWR GM Mukul Saran Mathur, in an interaction with the TNIE, said the project’s completion target may extend to 2027 or 2028. However, he clarified that SWR does not have direct control over the project, and its role is limited to technical support, clearances and integration.
Highlighting coordination challenges, Mathur said, “Urban projects require synchronisation between civil works, track, signalling, electrical and rolling stock. This is not happening smoothly.” He pointed to land acquisition and depot issues as key bottlenecks. “Land acquisition for Corridors 2 and 4 is pending. For example, depot land is yet to be acquired. Without full land availability, the 2027-28 target may slip,” he said.
However, another senior official questioned the unilateral termination of the contract. “For C2, 21km of land is available, with issues only on 4km. For C4, 25km is available. But still, questions remain: where is the casting yard and on ground process?” According to SWR data, about 97.75 per cent of land area-wise, and 86 per cent linear length is available for work execution and the land was handed over to L&T.
Meanwhile, Union Minister of State for Railways V Somanna, at a press conference here on Friday, said in the next 20-25 days, a survey will be carried out in consultation with the Central government to prepare a roadmap for execution of all four corridors of the project.
Meanwhile, Bengaluru Central MP PC Mohan said Bengaluru Suburban Rail Project has seen only 22% progress since 2020. L&T exited Corridors 2 & 4 after just 8.28% land handover in 2 years, escalating costs from Rs 1,498cr to Rs 7,000cr. The state must hand over the project to the Railways for timely completion.