The Ministry of Railways has sanctioned the survey for a new railway line connecting Shravanabelagola with Madikeri.
The letter sanctioning the project was issued on May 12 and the railway line will connect the hinterland in parts of Hassan and pass through Holenarsipur, Arkalgud, Konanur and Kushalnagar.
The length of the proposed railway line is 117 km and the Preliminary Engineering and Traffic (PET) Survey or the Techno Economic Survey will cost ₹58.5 lakh, according to the Railway Board.
This is the first of the series of surveys that is undertaken before the actual laying of railway track commences. The PET or the Techno Economic Survey will determine if the line is operationally feasible apart from the RoR or the rate of returns. This will also help peg the actual expenditure of laying the new railway line.
Unlike in the past when the surveys and railway lines used to be sanctioned based on political pressure and demand, it is the economics that is the determining factor in recent years. Besides, the State has to chip in with its share ranging from one-third of the project cost to almost 50%, besides giving land to the railways. The decision on taking up a project is finalised after exploring the available alternatives as well and data regarding the need for a specific railway line and its justification, projected traffic growth etc. are examined.
Source said while an RoR above 6% is considered feasible, the project could also be dropped or put into cold storage like many such reports and surveys that were already announced but has not made any progress.
According to railway officials, the gestation period from the time a survey is announced to actual running of the train can run into years and in most cases tend to be dropped.
If it materialises, then Kushalnagar will emerge as a railway junction as the proposed Mysuru-Madikeri line is also to be routed through the town. However, the latter is yet to take of despite many announcements and surveys. The SWR website indicates that the anticipated cost of the Mysuru-Kushalnagar was pegged at ₹1,854.62 crore but the physical progress is nil. Besides, land is yet to be acquired for the project.
Similarly, the Hejjala-Chamarajanagar railway line sanctioned in 1996-97 as part of Bengaluru-Satyamangalam railway line, is yet to get started. The project cost was pegged at ₹1,382.78 crores on a 50:50 cost sharing basis besides land to be provided by the State government. But in the absence of any progress, the project has been put in abeyance by the railways.
