BENGALURU, 15 APRIL

The Bengaluru Suburban Railway Project (BSRP) received a significant boost with the South Western Railway (SWR) allocating 115 acres of land for a crucial 46.88-kilometer stretch. This line will connect Heelalige in the south to Rajanukunte in the north.

The land handover comes under a lease agreement between SWR and Karnataka Rail Infrastructure Development Company Limited (K-RIDE), the body overseeing the 149-kilometer BSRP project. This development follows the finalisation of land agreements on 2 April, resolving a hurdle that had delayed construction on Corridor 4 (Kanaka Line).

K-RIDE awarded L&T Limited the contract to design and build viaducts for Corridor 4 in December 2023. However, the project awaited approval for the revised alignment plan and land acquisition from the railways. With the SWR approving the plan in January and finalising the land agreements, groundwork for Corridor 4 can now commence. Corridor 4, with its 19 stations, has a tight deadline of December 2026 for completion.

However, Corridor 1 (KSR Bengaluru-Devanahalli/Airport, 41.4 km) awaits final approval for its revised alignment plan submitted by K-RIDE to the SWR. K-RIDE and the railways acknowledged that meeting December 2027 deadline set for Corridor 1, will be challenging. Split into two phases for faster execution, the Yelahanka-Devanahalli section is targeted for completion by December 2026, while the KSR Bengaluru-Yelahanka section has a December 2027 deadline. The estimated cost for the project is Rs. 15,767 crore. Salar News