The initial segment of the Bengaluru Suburban Rail Project (BSRP), covering a distance of 7.4 km from Chikkabanavara to Yeshwantpur, is set to be operational by December 2025, said Infrastructure Development Minister M.B. Patil on Saturday.
At a press conference following a visit to the Gollahalli casting yard near Devanahalli to inspect what is being termed as the country’s inaugural 100-ft (31-m) U-girder, he announced that this technological milestone would debut in the Bengaluru Suburban Rail Project. Previously, metro railway projects have utilised 28-m U-girders.
Mr. Patil said, “The 31-m-long U-girder span is being used for the first time in India, for the BSRP. This relatively new and innovative concept in bridge deck design will reduce construction time, enhance aesthetic appearance, add durability and is also economical. For the first time, these girders will be used to construct a viaduct (elevated section) of around 8 km from Hebbal to Yeshwantpur which is a part of the ‘Mallige’ line or Corridor-2 of the BSRP and this requires about 450 girders. The L&T yard at Gollahalli also casts I-girders and pier caps and 323 and 283 of them, respectively, will be used along the stretch.”
On the progress of the BSRP work, the Minister said that about 20% of permanent work had been completed so far. Of the total 120.44 acres of land required for Corridor-2 (Chikkabanavara to Benniganahalli), 119.18 acres had been acquired (98.5% of the land).
“Works related to Corridor-2 have been progressing well with efforts to address challenges such as encroachments and coordination with multiple stakeholders for utilities and land acquisition. Discussions are also ongoing with various stakeholders such as the BBMP, BDA, BWSSB, Bescom, BSNL, and private telephone agencies for utilities shifting/diversions and land acquisition,” he said.
Mr. Patil stated that the entire project, valued at ₹15,677 crore and spanning 148.17 km, is slated for completion by December 2027. He appealed to the Railway Ministry for assistance in providing encroachment-free land as outlined in the DPR and timely approval of project designs. Additionally, he urged the Railways to approve the alignment and handover of land for Corridor-1 (KSR Bengaluru to Devanahalli) and Corridor-3 (Kengeri to Whitefield) by June 2024 to ensure adherence to the established timelines.
Mr. Patil also informed that the K-RIDE was also considering plans to connect the BSRP with the Peripheral Railway Network which the Railways intends to take up in the coming years. “Later, we want to extend it to satellite towns. We will discuss with the Railways and convince them regarding this,” he said.
Dismissing reports of the Railways alleging K-RIDE lacked technical expertise, Mr. Patil said the K-RIDE is competent enough to handle mega projects such as the BSRP. Such blame games will only lead to politicising, he added.
