We are planning circular railway network around Bengaluru, says Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw

Railways planning circular railway network around Bengaluru, funding to be completed by year-end, says Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.

Published on: Nov 28, 2023, 15:58:36 IST

By Yamini C S

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In good news for commuters, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw sanctioned ₹7 crore to conduct a pre-feasibility test for the long overdue Bengaluru Suburban Railway Project (BSRP). He also told reporters that the project will start soon and will not be delayed due to the vacant MD position in the K-RIDE company, according to news agency PTI.

Union railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. (File Photo)

The Railways is planning to develop a circular railway network around Bengaluru to ease the city's infamous congestions, Vaishnaw said, adding that the progress of funding the project was going on very well and that it will be done by the end of the year.

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“I think that the time will soon come. Our government, when we started the journey in 2014 at the central level, things changed a lot. I can say that the project will not suffer because of these things. I told the railway team to pick up whatever gaps are there in the JV company and fulfill those gaps from the railway side. From the central government side, pick up whatever gaps are there in this (project) and do the work and provide that technical input, which is required to be provided in this project,” he said.

“You have to ask this (about commencing of operations) to both the state and the Centre. My point is, suburban project has got full commitment of the Centre. I can assure you that very sincerely, very emphatically. Everything that is needed, we will do. The Centre’s commitment is to the people of Bengaluru. We should not bring politics in such discussions. We have to rise above politics and deliver the services which the people of Bengaluru need,” he added.

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“We have sanctioned ₹seven crore for doing a Detailed Project Report of a circular railway. For a ring railway kind of system, which will basically provide a complete connectivity to the city as it grows in the next 20 to 30 years. That company again is a joint venture and it has very limited technical capabilities. I've already requested the GM (South Western Railway General Manager) itself. In the first discussion I was asking about when are we going to take Vande Bharat to Mangaluru,” he further stated.

(With inputs from PTI)

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

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