Bengaluru to get suburban rail corridor-2 in just over two years, says Karnataka minister MB Patil

Bengaluru is likely to get the second corridor of the long overdue suburban rail project in just over two years, says Karnataka Minister MB Patil.

Published on: Aug 12, 2023, 10:54:40 IST

By Yamini C S

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

In good news for frequent commuters, Bengaluru city is expected to get the second corridor of the long impending suburban rail project ready in just over two years, according to Karnataka Minister for Infrastructure Development MB Patil.

The Bengaluru Suburban Rail Project needs 157 acres of railway land and officials are working on acquiring the same.

The minister set a deadline and said work on the 25-kilometre long corridor between Benniganahalli and Chikkabanavara will be completed with the next 26 months, news agency PTI reported.

“The BSRP project which runs parallel to the existing South-Western Railway lines has its challenges. However, these will be resolved to ensure completion of the project within 26 months. Officials have been instructed to work towards completing the works related to all four corridors by 2026. Even if it gets delayed due to some unforeseen reasons the project would be ready by 2028,” Patil said, while speaking to reporters on Friday.

READ | Tejasvi Surya suggests the extension of Bengaluru suburban rail project to Tumakuru, Ramanagara and Chikkaballapur

"So far, 10 to 15 per cent of work has been achieved related to corridor-2 and ground works will be over in the next 10 months. The ongoing RUB (Railway Under Bridge) at Shampura will also be completed by then," he added.

In total, the Bengaluru Suburban Rail Project needs 157 acres of railway land and officials are working on acquiring the same, Patil said. K-RIDE, the Rail Infrastructure Development Company of Karnataka, will need government land, defence land, railway land as well as private land for the project.

Around five acres of private land has been acquired, which will be used to lay tracks, apart from which, government-owned land of about 2.7 acres has also been acquired, Patil said. Officials are also working on clearing existing encroachments on the railway land, he added.

READ | Bengaluru suburban rail project to be extended to Kolar, Mysuru and Gauribidanur

K-RIDE needs defence land of around 7.38 acres in areas of Jalahalli, Nagawara, and CQAE near Yeswanthpur. Permissions have been obtained by defence authorities for these locations, the minister stated.

“After completing Corridor-2, works related to Corridor-3 between Bengaluru and Devanahalli Airport and Corridor-4 between Kengeri and Whitefield will be taken up,” Patil said.

There is also a proposal to extend the project to Chikkaballapura, Mysuru, Magadi, Tumakuru, Gowribidanuru, Kolar, and Hosur, which if approved, would expand the project from 149 km to 452 km.

“Tenders have been invited to construct 12 stations under EPC mode (Engineering, Procurement, Construction) along the stretch of corridor 2 and the tender process will be finalised on August 31. The tender process for civil works of corridor-4 is over and bidders will be awarded the works soon. Supply of the first batch of 10 trains will begin in October 2025,” Patil added.

(With PTI inputs)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yamini C S
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.Read More

Get the latest City News, local updates, weather alerts and breaking stories from Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and other major cities across India on Hindustan Times.