SPV to build railroad for connecting new airport

Bangalore: After two months of delay, the Karnataka government has formed a special purpose vehicle (SPV) to provide rail link to the new Bangalore International Airport, located 26 kilometres from the city near Devanahalli.

The SPV — Bangalore Airport Rail Link Ltd (BARL) — will design and implement a dedicated high speed rail network between the city centre (BRV Grounds on M G Road) to the new international airport, covering a distance of 34 kilometres.

The BARL has estimated the project to cost Rs 3,716 crore.

According to government sources, the BARL will shortly float global tenders to invite participation from infrastructure majors. As per the route identified by the government, a fresh track will be laid along the National Highway 7 (Bangalore-Hyderabad), which connects the city to the new international airport.

The new railway track will start from BRV Grounds and pass through Police Thimmaiah Circle, Raj Bhavan Road-Sankey Road, Windsor Manor junction, Mehkri Circle-Hebbal flyover. This stretch of the track will be elevated. From the Hebbal flyover, the track will be laid at the ground level along the NH 7. The travel time is estimated to be 25 minutes with stops at Hebbal and Yelahanka.

The high speed train will have six coaches. The frequency of each train will be 10 minutes. The train fare has been fixed at Rs 200 per person from BRV Grounds to the new international airport.

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, which has been appointed the consultants, will start the preliminary work with the project expected to be completed by January 2011.

The stake holders in BARL will include the state government, Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation, Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL), Greater Bangalore City Corporation and Bangalore Development Authority.

BIAL CEO Albert Brunner had said his company would contribute 10 per cent of the equity in the BARL.

The government needs to acquire 29 acres of private land for the project. The cost of land acquisition is estimated to be around Rs 150 crore.

Though the new airport is set to become operational from March 30, connectivity to the airport has been a major problem.

Though the BIAL, which will operate the new airport, had suggested to the government three years ago to take up road and rail connectivity, successive state governments failed to attach any importance to the plea.

Air passengers have no option other than using the busy NH 7. Meanwhile, the GBCC, which had embarked on creating uninterrupted flow of vehicle traffic between High Grounds police station (on Raj Bhavan Road) and Hebbal flyover by March 30, is running behind schedule. Of the seven underpasses planned on the stretch, only one has been completed.

Recently, the government entrusted the National Highways Authority of India with the task of building a dedicated 26 kilometre road to the airport from the Outer Ring Road stretch connecting Hebbal and Nagawara.