Bengaluru Suburban Rail: Kanaka Line Gears Up To Overcome Alignment Hurdle And Secure Railway Land

After facing several months of delays, the South Western Railway (SWR) is on the verge of approving the alignment for Corridor 4 of the Bengaluru Suburban Railway Project within the next few days, along with providing the necessary land.

These crucial developments are poised to pave the way for the initiation of civil contracts and the commencement of groundwork on Corridor 4.

This progress became possible through a reduction in the railway land requirement, scaled down from 194.07 acres to 115.472 acres.

The reduction was prompted by the need to quadruple the train tracks between Baiyappanahalli and Hosur (41 km), a section of which falls within Corridor 4.

Rail Infrastructure Development Company (Karnataka) official stated, "We have adjusted the railway land requirement based on revised guidelines, considering the quadrupling project. Our tracks will now be built slightly away from the railway line, necessitating about 5 per cent more private land."

The Bengaluru Suburban Railway Project, spanning 149 km, is a collaborative effort between the state government and the railways, with the latter providing the majority of the land and holding the final decision on alignment approvals.

The SWR is reportedly "satisfied" with the revised land requirement, and pending "minor" adjustments, it is expected to approve the alignment plan for Corridor 4 within a week, followed by the prompt transfer of land, with completion anticipated by the end of the month.

The railways will transfer the land at a nominal cost of Re one per acre.

Kusuma Hariprasad, Additional Divisional Railway Manager (Administration), Bengaluru, confirmed the requisition of 115 acres by K-RIDE, assuring that the request would be processed promptly, reports Deccan Herald.

The ongoing quadrupling of the Baiyappanahalli-Hosur railway line is assured not to impact the land transfer process. A pre-feasibility/Detailed Project Report for this quadrupling is expected to be ready in a week.

Corridor 4, known as the Kanaka Line, will span 46.88 km, connecting Heelalige in southern Bengaluru to Rajanukunte in the northern suburbs, featuring 19 stations including Carmelaram, Benniganahalli, Channasandra, and Yelahanka.

While civil work tenders for Corridor 4 were called in January, the approval of the alignment and transfer of required railway land were pending. L&T Ltd emerged as the lowest bidder in July, but the contract could not be awarded due to these uncertainties.

K-RIDE, having completed geotechnical investigations and pre-construction work for Corridor 4, expects to award the civil work contract to L&T Ltd in January 2024 after receiving alignment approval and railway land. Tenders for stations will be separately issued.

Among the project's other corridors, the groundwork has commenced for Corridor 2 (Mallige Line), while Corridors 1 and 3 are slated for tendering in early 2024. The revised project deadline is set for 2028.