BENGALURU: After a two-month delay over a previous announcement, the 10.5-km stretch between Heelalige and Karmelaram is set to be the first doubling segment to be commissioned by the Karnataka Rail Infrastructure Development Enterprises (K-RIDE) shortly.
The Commissioner of Rail Safety will be inspecting this stretch on February 20, said a senior official.
This forms part of the 48-km doubling project between Baiyappanahalli and Hosur being built at a cost of Rs 498 crore. The full stretch will be launched next year.
The doubling project was handed over to K-RIDE from the South Western Railway Zone for speedier execution. Trains on the Bengaluru-Salem line can improve their punctuality to a limited extent after the Heelalige stretch is commissioned as trains no longer have to wait at Karmelaram for crossing, since two tracks would be available.