Bengaluru Suburban Rail Project to be finished by Dec 2027: Karnataka minister

The Karnataka government has also signed an MoU with the KfW Development Bank of Germany to fund this project.

Karnataka Minister MB Patil said that the Bengaluru Suburban Rail Project, which is expected to connect the outskirts of the state capital to the city, will be finished by December 2027. He also stressed that the Suburban trains will be on par with metro services, with regular availability of trains.

Bengaluru Suburban Rail Project to be finished by Dec 2027: Karnataka minister

Speaking to reporters on Friday, MB Patil said, “All Bengaluru Suburban Rail Project corridors will be finished by December 2027. K-RIDE has been directed not to delay the work related to this project, and we will be able to deliver it on time.”

The Karnataka government has also signed an MoU with the KfW Development Bank of Germany to fund this project. The bank will lend ₹4,561 crore at an annual interest rate of four per cent for 20 years. This is the supplementary agreement between Germany's KfW Development Bank and K-RIDE, followed by the primary agreement on December 15, 2023, between the Department of Economic Affairs of the Government of India and KfW for the disbursal of ₹4,561 Crore.

Currently, the second corridor works, which is from Chikkabanavara to Yeshwantpur, are going on, and this is expected to be finished by June 2025. The Yeshwantpur to Benniganihalli route is also expected to operate by the end of 2026.

Corridor 1 has been split into two parts. The first part from Yelahanka to Devanahalli will be finished by December 2026, while Bengaluru City to Yelahanka will be completed by December 2027.

In July 2023, Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya reviewed the Bengaluru suburban rail project and suggested the Karnataka government to extend the project till Tumakuru, Ramanagara and Chikkaballapur. He also requested railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to approve the expansion plan of Bengaluru’s suburban rail network.

In June, the Karnataka government directed the Rail Infrastructure Development Company of Karnataka (K-RIDE) to submit a revised plan of the project. According to the department, the suburban rail project will be extended to Mysuru, Gauribidanur - Hindupur and Kolar areas. MB Patil then said that the long-awaited suburban rail project will be a game changer in dealing with traffic congestion of Bengaluru. With the extensions, the surrounding districts of Bengaluru are likely to see ease of transport to the capital city.