BENGALURU: The Railway Board has conveyed displeasure to the state government and K-Ride for deprioritising the line proposed to Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) from the city, in violation of the sanction letter it had issued three years ago for the 148.17-km Bengaluru Suburban Rail Project (BSRP), sources said. It also asked the South Western Railway (SWR) Zone to expedite all approvals for the Rs 15,767-crore project.
A high-level meeting was held in Delhi on Friday by Member (Infrastructure), Railway Board, Roop Narayan Sunkar, with top officials of the nodal agency for implementing the BSRP, Rail Infrastructure Development Company (Karnataka) Limited (K-RIDE), a joint venture between the State and Centre. Director (Business Development and Finance) Awadesh Mehta and R K Singh, Director (Project & Planning) were among the K-RIDE officials who attended the meeting.
MD Gaurav Gupta, SWR General Manager Sanjeev Kishore and Divisional Railway Manager, Bengaluru Division, Yogesh Mohan took part virtually. A senior official told TNIE, “Railway Board members questioned K-RIDE as to why the crucial Corridor One -- from KSR Railway Station to Devanahalli via Yelahanka (Sampige Line) had not been given the priority it merited. It was to be implemented ahead of other lines, with the sanction letter too issued in October 2020 with a three-year completion deadline fixed for it.” The 41.4km line was to become operational next month (October 2023) but even the tendering process has not begun.
The decision to drop its priority was taken in June 2021 by K-RIDE, as Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited had already called tenders for its Airport line from KR Puram to KIA Line (Phase 2B) and so it decided to proceed with other unconnected routes.
Project can be done by 2028
During a review meeting of the project on August 11, State Infrastructure Minister M B Patil stated that the BSRP will be given a two-year extension period up to 2028, for completion. “The Railway Board is keen that we meet our original deadline of 2026, and in particular we work towards that,” he added.
Another official said, “The infra member also directed SWR’s GM to speed up approvals for the designs submitted by K-RIDE in connection with the project, and consent required in connection with land acquisition.”
The only line where work has begun is Corridor-2, or Mallige Line from Chikkabanavara to Bennigenahalli via Yeshwanthpur (25.01 km) with 15 per cent of the work completed by L&T Ltd. The tendering process for Corridor-4 or Kanaka Line -- running 46.24km between Heelalige and Rajanakunte via Yelahanka -- is on the verge of completion.
“The technical and financial bids have been opened with Larsen & Tourbo Ltd again emerging as the lowest bidder, compared to three other concerns. Some more formalities need to be looked into. It is likely to be awarded in a month,” another official said. Like Corridor 1, tenders are not yet called for Corridor 3 or Parijaata Line, running 35.52km from Kengeri to Whitefield via Cantonment.
K-RIDE told to complete additional doubling stretch
Conducting a review of the two ongoing doubling projects by Rail Infrastructure Development Company (Karnataka) Limited (K-RIDE), the Railway Board on Friday directed it to commission an extra 7km on the Baiyappanahalli-Hosur line, than originally planned this financial year. The proposed extra stretch lies between Anekal and Marakanaikanahalli, said a source. Of the 48-km doubling work undertaken on this line at a cost of Rs 498 crore, K-RIDE had already commissioned 10.3km between Karmelaram and Heelalige in February this year, the first project to be commissioned by it.
“It is on course to complete 3.5km between Bellandur Road and Karmelaram by March 2024. The new stretch proposed by the Board would also be completed,” he said. The other project it has taken up is the 21.7-km line between Yeshwantpur and Channasandra at a cost of Rs 315 crore. No portion on this line has been commissioned so far, and will be done so at one go by December 2024.”