Bengaluru: CRS to inspect Heelalige-Carmelaram double rail line on February 20

The Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) will inspect the newly doubled 10.5-km Carmelaram-Heelalige railway line on February 20, according to the Railway Infrastructure Development Company (Karnataka).

This is K-RIDE’s first double railway line that is ready for commissioning. It is part of the 48-km Baiyappanahalli-Hosur line, which K-RIDE is doubling at a cost of Rs 498.73 crore.

Having a second railway track between Carmelaram and Heelalige will help speed up train movements between Bengaluru and Hosur. Trains that link Bengaluru with Kerala and Tamil Nadu won’t have to wait at Bellandur or Heelalige.

The sections between Baiyappanahalli and Carmelaram and Heelalige and Anekal are expected to be commissioned by March 2024. K-RIDE was unhappy with the progress on the remaining lines.

It has floated fresh tenders for earthwork in formation, blanketing, construction of minor bridges/road underbridges, foot overbridges, major bridges, platforms, and miscellaneous works between Heelalige and Hosur. On the Baiyyappanahalli-Carmelaram section, it has invited tenders for earthwork in formation, blanketing, minor bridges, construction of platforms, station buildings and foot overbridges at Bellandur Road and Huskur stations.

As part of the Carmelaram-Heelalige line doubling, a new station building and an island platform have been constructed at Heelalige. The existing platform has been expanded by 300 metres. K-RIDE has also constructed shelters on the platforms and built a new approach road to the station. The existing road underbridge at Heelalige has been expanded by about six metres.

A new halt station has been built at Huskur near HSR Layout. Five road overbridges have also been built on the 10.5-km section.

A K-RIDE official said 95% of the work had been completed and only some minor works were pending, which would be finished in time for the CRS inspection.

“Trial runs are going on at speeds of 120-130 kmph. The South Western Railway (SWR) is doing its own inspections,” he said.

During the inspection, the CRS will conduct speed trials and check the track. If everything goes smoothly, the line will be ready for commissioning by the end of this month.