BENGALURU: Bowing to public demand, the Bengaluru Suburban Rail Project (BSRP) which was planned for 148.17-km is all set to be extended by roughly 5.5 km. It will be effected in two lines in its network: Ranjanakunte-Heelalige (Corridor 4) and Whitefield to Kengeri (Corridor 2). Sources stated that the State government has already given its consent and approval of the Centre is sought now.
This proposal from the State government’s Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT) has been accepted by the nodal agency implementing the project, the Karnataka Rail Infrastructure Development Enterprises (K-RIDE). It will now be sent to the Railway Board through the South Western Railway (SWR) for its consent.
“DULT proposed extending the Heelalige corridor (Kanaka Line) by nearly one km up to Chandapura. The Kengeri stretch (Parijata line) will be extended towards the Challaghatta side,” said a source from K-RIDE.
"The exact distance will be known only after the feasibility study is done. It has been proposed roughly for 4.5 km as of now,” said a DULT official.
Railway activist Pruthvin Reddy said, locals pressed Social Welfare Minister Narayanaswamy to extend the suburban line when he visited Anekal, Heelalige and Huskur railway stations today. The contract for the 46.88-km Kanaka Line was recently awarded to Larsen & Tourbo Private Limited.
Phase-2 feasibility request submitted again
A senior K-RIDE official told TNIE, “These proposed extensions figured in the 452-km Phase-2 project. The pre-feasibility study we wanted to carry out was rejected by SWR in November 2023. We have submitted the same proposal to SWR on December 28, 2023, asking it to reconsider our request.”
The official added, “If SWR rejects it again, then we will submit a fresh proposal to the Railway Board through them, to allow us to add this additional 4.5 km. It has got the nod from the State, so only the Centre has to approve it.”