The city had for long pinned its hopes on the suburban rail project that was pending for over a decade, to take the pressure off its congested roads and finally, the rail project is taking shape. The project got a boost after the state government and the Ministry of Railways decided to execute it on a cost-sharing basis under pressure from various quarters. It is expected to provide an alternative approach to the city from places like Nelamangala, Rajanakunte, Whitefield, Kengeri, and Heelalige, taking the pressure off the roads leading to it. DC traces the progress the suburban rail project has achieved
Pending for over a decade, the suburban rail that the city has pinned its hopes on for years to take the pressure off its roads that are growing more congested by the day, appears to be finally taking shape.
While the project is expected to cost Rs 23,093 crore, the recent railway budget allocated South Western Railway (SWR) only Rs 10 crore for it, which though meagre is still a bigger commitment than the Rs 50 lakh that was set aside for it last year.
Hanging fire for years, the project got a boost after the state government and the Ministry of Railways decided to execute it on a cost-sharing basis under pressure from various quarters.
Although both the Centre and state have allocated funds in their respective budgets for the local rail network, sources in the urban development department (UDD) say the project is likely to take close to five years to complete once it gets underway .
The suburban rail is expected to provide an alternative approach to the city from places like Nelamangala, Rajanakunte, Whitefield, Kengeri, and Heelalige, taking the pressure off the roads leading to it. Nearly 10 lakh people are expected to use it once it becomes operational over a distance of 160 kms. It will reportedly have two dedicated tracks on the side of existing railway lines and three stretches (covering 60 kms) of elevated corridors running between Bengaluru city and Kengeri, Electronic City and Hebbal and Yelahanka and the Kempegowda International Airport. The remaining 100 kms are expected to be on ground level.
Says railway activist, Yogendra, " Currently, a suburban rail does operate on the existing rail infrastructure using MEMU and DEMU rakes, which cater to over two lakh commuters. But it clearly needs to be expanded to serve more commuters.”
He explains that a Special Purpose Vehicle, B-RIDE, will have to be set up for the suburban rail network on the lines of the Karnataka Rail Infrastructure Development Enterprise (K-RIDE), to give it the impetus it needs and fulfill the dream of Bengalureans for a hassle-free and fast transport system between the city and its suburbs.
Rlys, state go to work on land acquisition
Now that some of the funds required for a suburban rail for the city have been provided in the budget, officials arenow turning their attention to its next requirement, land. At a recent meeting between the state government and the South Western Railway (SWR), it was agreed to provide the land for the project at a nominal rent of Re 1 per acre. While the SWR said it would lease 617 acres of land, the state government agreed to provide 87 acres for the project. It was also decided to acquire around 330 acres from private individuals.
While SWR officials have urged the Railway board to lease the land required for a nominal fee, the government reportedly feels the rate of return of 1.3 per cent that it has been promised for its land is very poor. Mr Purushotham P, an advocate and urban expert, however, points out that all over the world, the rate of return for mass transportation is not very encouraging as economic factors are secondary. “After all, the primary purpose of the project is to facilitate commuting and ease traffic congestion. A similar system was followed for the suburban railway in Mumbai too,” he notes.
Meanwhile, the design of the project is still being debated with some talking about a three-tier system in a section with a suburban rail on one level, the Metro Rail on another and roads below. But whether this will make it to the final drawing table is unclear as some believe it is a complicated design and difficult to execute.
