Bengaluru Suburban Railway Project: K-RIDE And Indian Air Force Sign MoU For Land Acquisition In Jalahalli, Batching Plant In Jalahalli To Open Soon

In a crucial breakthrough for the city's Bengaluru Suburban Railway Project (BSRP), Indian Air Force (IAF) officials signed a Memorandum of Understanding with K-RIDE on Friday to hand over its land in Jalahalli for the project.

The IAF also approved the construction of a boundary wall at Jalahalli for the Corridor-2 or Mallige Line of the suburban railway.

Karnataka Rail Infrastructure Development Company (K-RIDE) announced in a press release that land acquisition, boundary wall construction, and various other preliminary works such as survey works, geotechnical investigation, and ground penetration report (GPR) of the construction project have been completed.

“The Corridor-2 line or the ‘Mallige’ line of the Bengaluru Suburban Rail Project (BSRP) of around 25.2 km from Benniganahalli to Chikkabanavara, which is currently underway, is progressing significantly,” said K-RIDE, as per PTI report.

The batching facility is being built in three locations: Jalahalli, Hebbal, and Benniganahalli, with the Jalahalli batching plant set to open soon, according to the company.

The Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) has already begun paying out compensation to residents of buildings that will be demolished. Minor bridge construction has already begun between the Chikkabanavara and Yeshwanthpur sections.

"The casting yard's land has been identified and finalised, and preliminary activities are underway. The study on the Environment and Social Impact Assessment (EIA & SIA) has been completed. Test piles have been completed at two locations near Hebbal and Yeshwanthpur, and testing activities are currently underway and will be conducted in the coming week," according to the K-RIDE's announcement.

K-RIDE has also received 157 acres of railway land for Corridor-2, as well as 5.11 acres of private land purchase. K-RIDE has received 2.72 acres of state government land from Babu Jagjivan Ram Leather Industries Development Corporation Limited (LIDKAR), Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB), and Karnataka Veterinary Animal and Fisheries Sciences University (KVAFSU), while 5.01 acre of BDA land is still pending for the project, according to the company.

A combined site visit was done with several utility-owning authorities such as GAIL, BBMP and BWSSB for utility diversion, while signalling and telecommunication utilities have been completely shifted, and electrical utility shifting is currently underway.

This project also includes the relocation of major Indian Railway buildings and infrastructure, such as the Parcel Office, SSE Office, and substation. South Western Railway (SWR) has also granted permission in principle for the relocation.

Bengaluru Suburban Rail Project

The commuter rail network will comprise four corridors, and 57 stations, and cover 148.17 km.

K-RIDE, a joint venture of the government of Karnataka and the Ministry of Railways, is tasked with the implementation of the project.

Corridor-1 (Sampige line) connects Kempegowda International Airport.

Corridor 3 (Parijatha Line) from Kengeri to Whitefield is the other line.

Corridor 4-Kanaka Line is from Heelalige to Rajankunte. There are 19 stations over its 46 km of total length.

It is being built at a cost of Rs 15,767 crore.

The implementing agency is seeking 800 million euros in loans to finance the suburban rail project.

The project was first proposed in 1983 by a southern railways expert team and was estimated to span 58 km. The proposal was included in Karnataka's first transportation survey, commissioned by the then chief minister R Gundu Rao.

On 20 June 2022, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation for the suburban rail project in the city.

Bengaluru Suburban Rail Project will link Bengaluru to its satellite townships, suburbs, and surrounding rural areas through a rail-based rapid-transit system network.