Drop Metro plan to airport, take up high-speed rail, says Sreedharan

Principal Advisor to Delhi Metro Rail Corporation E Sreedharan (in pic) on Friday said extension of Namma Metro to Kempegowda International Airport is not viable.

Instead, the state government should look into the possibility of providing a high-speed rail connectivity to the airport. The high-speed rail can be built without burdening the government. Whereas, the Metro has to be funded by the government and acquiring land will be a big challenge, Sreedharan, widely known as Metro Man, said, interacting with reporters.

Sreedharan is in Bengaluru to inaugurate the Karnataka chapter of the Foundation of Restoration of National Values (FRNV), a non-government organisation, scheduled on Saturday.

He is the national president of FRNV, which is working in the field of electoral reforms, police reforms, solid waste management and values in education.

He further said the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation had in 2008 prepared a detailed project report on the high-speed rail link to the airport. It was planned to be a 35-km line between BRV Grounds, off MG Road, and the airport with only two stops en route. “It was also proposed from the Palace Grounds to the airport. Late Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar of Mysuru royal family had even agreed to give a part of the Palace Grounds for the project. The promoters of KIA too had agreed to cooperate...But unfortunately, it (the project) did not take off,” he added.

He said the high-speed rail link project is feasible and the government should conduct a fresh study in this regard. The project can be implemented under the public-private partnership model, he added.

Sreedharan said he took a ride on the Namma Metro from Vidhana Soudha to Mysuru Road two days ago and expressed satisfaction with the work done by Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL). “I was involved in the project at the planning stage. I am satisfied with the work,” he added.

He, however, refused to comment on the delay in implementing Namma Metro and the huge escalation in the project cost. But he said the cost escalation will pose a problem to the BMRCL in repaying loans taken to implement the project.