Bengaluru suburban rail project, central government pushes for faster execution

 To ease Bengaluru’s traffic congestion, the Bengaluru Suburban Rail Project (BSRP) was announced, aiming to start operations by 2026. However, the project has faced delays, with only three out of four corridors seeing initial infrastructure work. Now, the Central Government is taking steps to speed up progress. Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya raised concerns about the project in Lok Sabha, to which Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw responded. He stated that the Central and Karnataka governments are jointly implementing the project through K-RIDE (Karnataka Rail Infrastructure Development Company Ltd.). Vaishnaw highlighted that while Indian Railways has transferred its land for the project, the Karnataka government’s land transfer is delayed, causing setbacks. He also emphasized the need for a full-time Managing Director at K-RIDE, as the position has been vacant since July 2022. Currently, N. Manjula, Additional Chief Secretary, handles the role alongside her responsibilities in the Kannada and Culture Department. The ₹15,767 crore project, covering 148 km with 64 stations, Is jointly funded by the state and central governments (20% each), with the remaining 60% from loans. While work on corridors 2 and 4 is progressing, civil works for corridors 1 and 3 are still in early stages. The project also faces hurdles like forest clearances, power line relocations, drainage adjustments, and land acquisition. Despite challenges, efforts are being made to accelerate the project and ensure Bengaluru’s much-needed suburban rail system is operational as planned.