"Bengaluru Suburban Railway Project's Corridors 2 and 4 to be Completed by 2026: MoS Somanna"

Union Minister V. Somanna announced recently that two key corridors of the Bengaluru Suburban Railway Project-Chikkabanavara-Baiyyappanahalli (Corridor-2, 25 km) and Heilalagi-Rajanukunte (Corridor-4, 46.88 km)-are scheduled for completion by December 2026. The announcement came after a joint press conference with Karnataka Infrastructure Development Minister M.B. Patil, following a progress review meeting with senior officials of K-Ride, the Rail Infrastructure Development Company (Karnataka) Ltd.

During the meeting, officials requested an additional three months to resolve land acquisition issues. Both ministers emphasized that no further delays would be tolerated once this extension is granted.

To meet the 2026 deadline, the ministers stressed that railway carriages must be supplied at least six months prior to the project's completion to ensure the timely launch of the corridors for public use.

Minister Patil also proposed extending the suburban railway network to neighboring cities and towns. In response, Somanna committed to holding discussions with relevant officials to explore these possibilities. The feasibility of extending Corridor-1 directly to Kolar from Devanahalli, bypassing Chikkaballapura, was also considered.

The meeting further discussed integrating the suburban rail network with the proposed 281 km peripheral railway project, which is estimated to cost ₹21,000 crore. Key officials, including South Western Railway General Manager Aravinda Srivastava, Namma Metro Managing Director Maheshwar Rao, and BBMP Chief Commissioner Tushar Girinath, were in attendance.

Earlier in the day, Somanna visited the Rail Wheel Factory in Yelahanka to review the plant's operations and upcoming projects.

ET