Bengaluru, Mysuru To Get Closer; PM Modi May Inaugurate Long Pending Electrified Double Track In January

The much-awaited and much-delayed track doubling and electrification project on the Bengaluru - Mysuru railway track will finally be thrown open for regular operations in January 2018, reports News Karnataka. The section was originally to be inaugurated today (26 December) with the flagging off of an electric locomotive at the Krantivira Sangolli Rayanna Railway (KSR) station in Bengaluru.

The opening of the new line will reduce the travel time between Karnataka’s Information Technology hub and Cultural Capital by a minimum of 15 minutes but will save the around Rs 36 crore a year and reduce emissions from diesel engines.

The 138 km journey from KSR station to Mysuru station a minimum of 700 litres of diesel costing Rs 41,000 or five litres per kilometre. An electric locomotive would require around 2,600 units of electricity which would costs around Rs 17,000 at Rs 6 per unit.

The project, originally sanctioned in the 2007-08 railway budget was held up because of land constraints in Srirangapatna. The armoury of Tipu Sultan, which needed to be shifted held up work on the project. The armoury was finally shifted earlier this year and work was able to progress.

The fastest train on the route, the Chennai Central to Mysuru Shatabdi Express currently takes two hours to cover the journey. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to inaugurate the line.