The detailed project report (DPR) on a new railway terminal at Naganahalli, entailing the creation of additional infrastructure for Mysuru, will be submitted to the Railway Board in November.
This was stated at a division-level meeting of railway officials with MPs within the jurisdiction of Mysuru railway division on Tuesday.
The project is of special importance to Mysuru city as the existing railway station is saturated and cannot handle the projected growth of traffic envisaged consequent to the completion of track doubling and electrification work. The project was approved in the last budget and is estimated to cost ₹789 crore.
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The details were given in response to a query by Pratap Simha, MP for Mysuru.
The construction wing of the Railways is working on the DPR, which is expected to be finalised by November. “The project requires around 400 acres of land, for which the State government has been sounded off, and it will take three years to be fully operational from the date of commencement,” said South Western Railway general manager A.K. Gupta.
The terminal will include stabling lines, maintenance lines at least six platform lines, besides high-level island platforms and other infrastructure required for operating both inbound and outbound services as a station of origin.
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New railway line
Meanwhile, MP for Chamarajanagar R. Dhruvanarayana sought to know the fate of the proposed Hejjala-Chamarajanagar railway line, which has been approved by the Railway Board to provide an alternative route to that town via Kanakapura-Malavalli and Kollegal.
Officials pointed out that the progress of the project hinges on land acquisition by the State government. The 140-km line will pass through new terrain not connected by the Railways, but the cost of land acquisition has been pegged at around ₹500 crore.
The project is to be taken up on a cost-sharing basis, with the State pitching in with 50% of the estimated cost of ₹1,300 crore, in addition to providing land to the Railways. Mr. Dhruvanarayan said a one-time lump sum release of funds towards land acquisition may be prohibitive for the State government. He said he would try to push for land acquisition in a phased manner.
But if the current pace of progress is any indication, it is likely the project will remain on paper, according to sources in the Railways.
The Railways will also study the feasibility of extending the existing DEMU service from Bengaluru to Ramanagaram, up to Mysuru so as to meet the demand for additional services.
A project to establish a zonal RPF training centre at K.R. Nagar is also in the pipeline, and land has been identified for it.