JOIN USRevise suburban rail project, extend it to other towns: Minister
Minister for Infrastructure Development, Commerce and Industries M B Patil has called for revising the Rs 15,767-crore Bengaluru suburban railway project so that it could be extended to Mysuru, Mandya, Kolar, Dobbspet, Gauribidanur and Hindupur.
On Tuesday, the minister chaired a review meeting on the 148-km project whose foundation stone was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi with a 40-month deadline.
Currently, groundwork has begun on only one of the four corridors (Baiyappanahalli-Chikkabanavar). Another corridor (Heelalige-Rajanukunte) is under tendering, while bids are yet to be invited for the remaining two (KSR Bengaluru-Devanahalli and Kengeri-Whitefield).
Officials told Patil that the tender for the Heelalige-Rajanakunte line would open on June 15. The tenders for the construction of 12 stations for the Baiyappanahalli-Chikkabanavar line will be opened on August 9.
Patil suggested that the project be extended to Dobbspet on the Tumakuru side as it would facilitate the industrial area there. "This should happen in the first phase itself," the minister said, according to a statement from his office.
"The suburban railway locations under the current project have already merged into the city and become parts of Bengaluru. They need to be extended," he said.
"The project should connect prominent places located within 100 km of Bengaluru. That would help people commute to Bengaluru and mitigate migration." He called for suburban trains every 10 minutes.
Gaurav Gupta, Additional Chief Secretary, Infrastructure Development Department, and senior railway officials attended the meeting.