BENGALURU: The state government still has an opportunity to run a dedicated High Speed Rail Link to the Kempegowda International Airport and the distance can be covered in just 28 minutes, said Father of Indian Metro E. Sreedharan, on Friday.
Announcing the launch of Formation for Restoration of National Values, he said multiple options to link the airport are being explored by the government, including the Metro and Railways. “But there is still a need for proper feasibility study for any connectivity and the cost of HSRL,” he said.
Such projects can be taken up on build-operate-transfer or public private partnership models with government assistance for viability gap funding and support in acquiring and providing assistance for the land.
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation had prepared a detailed project report for HSRL with the cost pegged at Rs 3,800 crore. Talks were successful with BIAL authorities to allow the train into the airport and advance checking at two HSRL stations. But the state government has been looking at alternatives, he said.
Declining to comment on the delay by the BMRCL in completing Phase 1, he said credit should go to them for completing the East-West and a portion of the North-South corridors. “A one-year delay increases the cost by 7 percent,” he said.
“I traveled on the Metro from Vidhana Soudha to Mysore Road station. I looked at a couple of stations. Work has been excellent with the required safety and comfort standards. Though BMRCL has claimed to complete the phase-1 by December, it may get done by March next year,” he said.
‘No response on Kannur-B’luru high speed rail’
Mr Sreedharan is unhappy that the state government is not responding to a proposal for a High Speed Rail connectivity between Kannur and Bengaluru, via Mysuru, Mangaluru and Udupi. He said that the high speed train between Bengaluru and Mysuru is aimed at cutting the travel time from three-and-a-half hours to just 30 to 40 minutes.
“I wrote two letters to CM Siddaramaiah, but there was no response at all from the government,” he said. The Kerala government agreed to provide a high-speed rail connectivity from Trissur to Kannur. But the Karnataka government did not respond to extend it to Mangaluru, he said.
