Land Survey Underway For Bengaluru-Chennai Bullet Train Project

Progress is being made on the ground for the Mysuru-Bengaluru-Chennai bullet train project, despite the distant dream of a bullet train between the two southern capitals.

Currently, land surveys are underway, and the aerial survey is scheduled to begin soon. The Hyderabad-based company responsible for conducting the satellite and land surveys will prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) once these surveys are completed. The land survey from Chennai to Kolar has already been finished.

Several years ago, the National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) gave its initial approval for the long-awaited high-speed rail corridor connecting Mysuru-Bengaluru-Chennai.

As part of this approval, the NHSRCL initiated a ridership study to evaluate various high-speed corridors, including Mysuru-Chennai.

Currently, the fastest train between Bengaluru and Mysuru (Vande Bharat) takes around two hours, while the same train requires approximately 4.25 hours to reach Chennai.

Conducting a ridership survey is a crucial step before preparing the DPR, as it will analyze traffic data to estimate the potential demand and ridership for the proposed high-speed rail corridors.

To gather necessary data for the ridership survey, traffic data from toll plazas on the Bengaluru-Chennai highway over the past five years will be considered. Additionally, data from current rail and air travel during the same period will also be taken into account.

Additionally, the study will consider data from government and private bus operators, as well as vehicle registration data from the last five years. It will also propose a fare structure for the high-speed rail, taking into account the Willingness to Pay (WTP) factor to ensure attractive ticket fares for passengers.

To gather data, the survey aims to collect at least 6,000 valid samples from long-distance upper-class trains, airports, bus terminals, and toll plazas.

The Mysuru-Bengaluru-Chennai region is a high-density corridor that is popular among both the general public and the business class. The objective is to reduce the travel time between Bengaluru and Mysuru to 45-60 minutes.

This proposed high-speed train route holds strategic significance for the country, with potential plans to extend it from Mysuru to Mangaluru. The planned track is expected to be approximately 84 per cent elevated, 11 per cent in a tunnel, and the remainder at ground level. Detailed drawings will be prepared for areas where the track crosses rivers, canals, bridges, roads, and highways.

However, others propose having stations at Mysuru, Mandya, Channapatna, Bengaluru, Bangarpet, Chittoor, Arakkonam, and Poonamallee.

S Muniswamy, the MP from Kolar, is positive about the potential benefits of the bullet train project. He highlights the ongoing land survey and emphasises that apart from reducing travel time, the high-speed train will also boost industrialisation in the area, reports Bangaloremirror.