Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone for the much awaited suburban rail project in the city on June 20. Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai announced the Prime Minister’s programme at an event on Monday.
“The pending dream of suburban rail will become a reality soon. Wherever Namma Metro connectivity is not there, suburban rail will serve the city and improve the connectivity in the city,” Mr. Bommai said.
In the pipeline for over two decades, the project will be taken up at an estimated cost of ₹15,767 crore and will be implemented by Rail Infrastructure Development Company (Karnataka) Limited (K-RIDE), a joint venture between the State government and Railways.
The Union Budget for 2022-23 has allocated ₹450 crore for the project. While the State Budget allocated ₹850 crore for the project in 2021-22, it made no fresh allocation in the 2022-23 Budget.
Tenders have been finalised for the 25 km Baiyappanahalli-Chikkabanavara suburban rail corridor, for which Larsen and Toubro emerged as the lowest bidder in March 2022. However, three months later, work orders are yet to be issued for the same. KRIDE, the special purpose vehicle spearheading suburban rail, is yet to float tenders for other lines.
“The project has shaped up well and we are ready to get into the construction phase,” a senior official said.
Rail activists have welcomed the project taking off finally. Activist Sanjeev Dyamannanavar said now that the PM will himself lay foundation for the project, it was up to the State government to ensure the project will be completed in six years and the first line between Baiyappanahalli and Chikkabanavara is completed in three years.
