BENGALURU: In a clear sign that the city’s dedicated suburban rail project is chugging in the right direction, the Cabinet note for the Rs 15,990-crore project was readied early this week and submitted to the Railway Minister. Piyush Goyal will now have to give his consent and place it before the Cabinet Committee of Economic Affairs (CCEA). The Extended Board of Railways had approved the 148.17km project on November 4, offering a ray of hope for the project often cited as a solution to the traffic woes of the city.
Speaking to The New Indian Express from New Delhi, a source in the Railway Board said, “In the note, we have given approval to the revised suburban project submitted to us. There have been no major modifications in the proposal given to us.”Asked about the steps that need to be taken before the project gets the final clearance, the official said, “An Intermittent Committee would now have to discuss it with the Cabinet Secretariat and they need to give their approval.
A total of 90 copies of the report need to be prepared to ensure that both Hindi and English copies are available. It will then have to be listed in the agenda for the CCEA. The committee headed by the Prime Minister will then have to give its assent.”On the timeframe involved, the source said that all these steps could be completed within a fortnight if required.
When asked about the time required to complete the suburban rail project in case it gets the CCEA approval in December, a senior railway official said, “If you require an optimistic estimate, it would take 10 years. By December 2030, the city could have a full-fledged suburban rail.”Though the report itself specifies a deadline of 2025, it is not possible, he added. “The land needs to be acquired first, the route passes through many congested areas of the city and construction has to be done simultaneously in the midst of traffic flow,” the official explained.
The project could be completed in phases and stretches could be opened but the entire project requires at least a decade, the official added. These four corridors will be covered under the suburban project: Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna (Bengaluru City)-Yesvantpur-Yelahanka-Devanahalli-Kempegowda International Airport (41.4km); Baiyappanahalli-Banaswadi-Lottegehalli-Whitefield-Yesvantpur-Chikkabanavara (25.01km); Kengeri-Cantonment-Whitefield (35.52km) and Heelalige-Baiyappanahalli-Channasandra-Yelahanka-Rajanakunte (46.24km). The airport route would be opened first, it had been announced earlier.