BENGALURU: A citizens’ body from Bengaluru has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, seeking urgent intervention to expedite Corridor-1 (C1) of the Bengaluru Suburban Rail Project (BSRP), citing severe delays in what they describe as a much-needed but much-delayed project.
In letters addressed to both leaders, Citizens for Citizens (C4C) said BSRP is expected to significantly impact the quality of life of about 2 crore people living in and around Bengaluru. The forum thanked the Prime Minister for reviewing the project on the Pragati platform on December 31, 2025, and directing authorities to speed up execution.
The body pointed out that when the BSRP was sanctioned in October 2020, the most vital corridor connecting the heart of Bengaluru with the airport was prioritised for completion within 36 months. However, 63 months after sanction, on-ground work on Corridor-1 has not yet begun. They noted that the latest target set by K-RIDE for completion of the corridor is March 2030, which would mean 113 months from the date of sanction instead of the originally planned 36 months.
Calling the revised timeline beyond comprehension and acceptability in today’s age, the forum said that under dynamic governance and strong leadership, a 10-year period from sanction was unjustifiable. The letter to the Chief Minister also noted that the project is being executed by K-RIDE, in which the Karnataka government holds a 51 per cent stake, and that even the Directorate of Urban Land Transport had earlier said that Corridor-1 must be prioritised.
C4C said that by now, all permissions and planning for Corridor-1 should be in place and the remaining challenges relate only to land acquisition and funding. The group sought strong budgetary allocation in the upcoming budget and facilitation of land acquisition, along with directions to complete the corridor within the next 24 months.
Expressing confidence that January 2028 is “100 per cent doable” for commissioning Corridor-1 with timely intervention, the citizens urged both leaders to issue necessary directions so that Bengaluru gets a reliable, eco-friendly, economic, safe, comfortable, inclusive, efficient and effective public transport link between the city and airport, without further undue delays.