Bengaluru May Soon Get Suburban Rail, Extended Railway Board Gives Nod to Project

The Information and Technology or the IT capital of India, Bengaluru, often witnesses traffic congestion and pollution. In a major relief for the people of Bengaluru, the much-awaited suburban rail project got approved by the Extended Railway Board (ERB) on Monday, October 4. The ERB includes officials from Union Finance Ministry, NITI Aayog as well as the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MOSPI).

The proposal for the approved 148-kilometer suburban railway network with 57 stations will now be placed before the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) for its final clearance. According to a report by The Hindu, Union Minister of State for Railways Suresh Angadi said with the nod from the Extended Railway Board, the suburban rail project has received 90 percent of the clearance. "Shortly, it will go before the cabinet for final approval," Angadi said.

He further added that the suburban rail project is 50:50 by the central and the state government and that the measures will be adopted to form a special purpose vehicle for implementation of the project.

After the meeting, Angadi tweeted about the meeting and assured people of Bengularu that Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal and he will "make all efforts to ensure the project is brought to fruition at the earliest."

According to the daily, the detailed project report or the DRP stated that the suburban rail project is estimated to cost Rs 15,900 crore. It has also proposed to build four corridors - Kengeri-Whitefield, KSR Bengaluru City-Rajanukunte, Nelamangala-Baiyappanahalli and Heelalige-Devenahalli.

The suburban rail project has been pending in Bengaluru for several decades.

According to the daily, Suresh Angadi will hold meeting with Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa today and discuss about the implementing of the suburban rail project.

“The approval is a major milestone. We are hoping that the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs will approve it as early as possible. The project has been pending for long. For years, Bengalureans have been waiting for a mass transit system that is economical and reliable. Elected representatives from the city must tell the central government to clear the project in the Cabinet as early as possible,” said Sanjeev Dyamannavar, a rail activist was quoted as saying the daily.