Bengaluru suburban railway project stalls amid land delays

The much-hyped Bengaluru Suburban Railway Project (BSRP) is unlikely to become a reality anytime soon, as work has stalled due to persistent land acquisition issues, bureaucratic delays, and political indifference.

Infrastructure giant L&T, contracted for the project, has officially paused work, citing incomplete land transfer, legal disputes with private landowners, and lack of clear direction from K-RIDE, the implementing agency. With just five months left of the originally promised 40-month timeline, progress is dismal—only Corridor-2 (Chikkabanavara–Baiyappanahalli) has seen partial work, while Corridor-4’s tendering ended only in late 2023. Corridors 1 and 3 remain untouched.

L&T has reportedly demanded ₹500 crore in compensation and has started relocating workers and machinery. The absence of a full-time technical Managing Director at K-RIDE has worsened the situation, with the Centre and State blaming each other for the impasse. Meanwhile, local MPs and MLAs, including Shobha Karandlaje, Tejasvi Surya, and C.N. Manjunath, have remained largely silent on the matter.

“This is not just a delay—it’s total administrative neglect,” said Rajkumar Dugar of Citizens for Citizens. Activist K.N. Krishnaprasad voiced public frustration: “Forget completion—I now doubt if I’ll live to see a suburban train run in Bengaluru.”

What once promised to decongest the city and revolutionize commuting now faces an uncertain future, mired in red tape and political apathy.