Union Budget 2024-25 Cuts Allocation For Bengaluru Suburban Railway Project By Rs 100 Crore

The Union Budget 2024-25, presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on 23 July, has reduced the allocation for the Bengaluru Suburban Railway Project (BSRP) by Rs 100 crore compared to the previous year.

The project, which received Rs 450 crore last year, has been allocated Rs 350 crore this year.

The BSRP, which involves constructing a 148 km network across four corridors in Bengaluru, is estimated to cost Rs 15,767 crore.

Both the state and central governments will each contribute 40 per cent of the funding, with the remaining 20 per cent to be secured through external borrowing.

Despite numerous delays, the Rail Infrastructure Development Company (Karnataka) Limited (KRIDE) has started work on the Baiyappanahalli to Chikkabanavara corridor, a 25 km stretch with 14 proposed stations.

A KRIDE official noted that KRIDE is working on securing additional funds through external agencies, reports The Hindu.

It is India's first railway project under the National Suburban Rail Policy 2018. 

The existing BSRP project plan comprises four corridors with a total length of 148.17 km.

These corridors include KSR Bengaluru City to Devanahalli (Corridor 1 - 41.4 km), Baiyappanahalli to Chikkabanavara (Corridor 2 - 25.01 km), Kengeri to Whitefield (Corridor 3 - 25.01 km), and Heelalige to Rajanukunte (Corridor 4 - 46.25 km).

The BSRP project, sanctioned through the Ministry of Railways for a cost of Rs 15,767 crore, intends to establish a suburban railway network spanning 148 km, encompassing 58 stations across four corridors.

The ambitious project, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in June 2022, received renewed commitment from Karnataka Infrastructure Development Minister M B Patil, who has set a new deadline of December 2027 for its completion.