146-km Phase 2 planned for Bengaluru Suburban Railway Project

Bengaluru: A 146-km Phase 2 has been proposed to connect Bengaluru with six satellite towns through dedicated suburban railway lines. 

Railway Infrastructure Development Company Karnataka (K-RIDE), which is constructing the Bengaluru Suburban Railway Project (BSRP), wrote to the South Western Railway (SWR) in September 2024, seeking approval to conduct a pre-feasibility study for Phase 2. 

K-RIDE said it was willing to take the study without any financial assistance from the railways. 

However, the request is still pending with the SWR headquarters and no response has been received to date, officials in the know said. 

The BSRP consists of four corridors spanning 148.17 km — KSR Bengaluru-Devanahalli, Baiyappanahalli-Chikkabanavara, Kengeri-Whitefield and Heelalige-Rajanukunte. It is estimated to be completed by 2028. 

A senior official said that the K-RIDE board finalised Phase 2 last year following a meeting chaired by Minister of State for Railways V Somanna. 

The meeting stressed the importance of avoiding overlapping commuter train projects between Bengaluru and its satellite towns. It also emphasised the need to link the BSRP's six terminals — Devanahalli, Chikkabanavara, Rajanukunte, Heelalige, Kengeri and Whitefield— to the Bengaluru Circular Railway and close the missing links.

The 287-km circular railway is a separate, Rs 23,000-crore project to link important towns located 20-25 km from Bengaluru. 

These towns include Niduvanda, Doddaballapur, Vaddarahalli, Devanahalli, Malur, Heelalige, Hejjala and Solur. Its Detailed Project Report (DPR) is expected to be ready this year. 

Although these towns currently have railway connectivity to Bengaluru, the tracks are primarily used for long-distance trains. Under Phase 2 of the BSRP, dedicated suburban train lines will be developed. 

The SWR had previously turned down a much larger 452-km Phase 2 connecting Devanahalli to Kolar, Chikkabanavara to Tumakuru/Magadi, Kengeri to Mysuru, Whitefield to Bangarpet, Heelalige to Hosur and Rajanukunte to Gauribidanur. It had cited the circular railway and doubling/quadrupling projects for rejecting the proposal. 

KN Krishna Prasad of the Karnataka Railway Vedike welcomed Phase 2, saying Bengaluru should have an extensive suburban railway network similar to the one in Mumbai. 

Prasad also called for faster execution of Phase 1 through speedy technical approvals, financial clearances and land acquisition. 

Phase 2: 146 km

Devanahalli to Chikkaballapur: 18 km

Chikkabanavara to Kunigal: 50 km

Chikkabanavara to Dobbspet: 36 km

Kengeri to Hejjala: 11 km

Heelalige to Anekal Road:11 km

Rajanukunte to Oddarahalli:20 km