Bengaluru Suburban Railway Project: Construction Of First Piers For Mallige Line Is Underway, Station Tender Work To Be Issued Soon

The groundwork for the construction of the first piers for the Bengaluru Suburban Railway Project (BSRP) of Karnataka is advancing at a fast pace on the Mallige line (Corridor-2).

Corridor-2 is estimated to be an Rs 859.97 crore project. It is divided into two packages: Baiyyapanahalli-Lottegollahalli and Lottegollahalli-Chikkabanavar.

Pre-construction work of the project is almost complete.

A number of additional preliminary activities have been done, including surveys, geotechnical studies and ground penetration reports. Environmental and Social Impact Assessments of the project have also been finished.

A batching plant has been established in Yeshwantpur. The construction of a border wall has also begun.

An official stated that the Mallige Line has had all utilities (signalling and telephone lines, power cables, etc) relocated.

The groundwork for Section-four of the Mallige Line has begun significantly, according to Vijay Kumar, General Manager (Civil), Corridor-2, K-RIDE, reports Deccan Herald.

In November last year, K-RIDE floated the first civil work tender to construct an eight km elevated viaduct as a part of the 25 km Mallige line (corridor 2).

K-RIDE issued a work order to Larsen & Toubro on 26 August last year for civil works on Corridor-2 (Mallige line), with a 24-month deadline.
At Hebbal and Yeshwantpur, the first test piles, however, were just recently cast.

Delays in land acquisition and utility line relocation have slowed down the work. Significant progress has been made on both fronts after months of arduous effort, officials said.

Station work Tender

The 25.57 km long Mallige corridor will have 14 stations at Byappanahalli, Kasturi Nagar, Sevanagar, Banaswadi, Kaveri Nagar, Nagawara, Kanakanagar, Hebbal, Lottegollahalli, Yeswantpur, Jalahalli, Shettihalli, Myadarahalli and Chikkabanavara.

According to an official, K-RIDE has drafted a tender for the construction of 12 stations on the Mallige Line and will release it for bids next week.

Tenders for Kaveri Nagar and Jalahalli stations will be called in the late future.

Tenders will also be called for the Yeshwantpur depot's Detailed Design Consultant (DCC) contract.

Corridor 2 is the project's first phase and is estimated to be completed in 2026.

Tenders for other lines

Only after the elections will bids be accepted for the Kanaka Line (46.44-km Heelalige-Rajanukunte) of the Bengaluru Suburban Railway Project.

Tenders for the Parijata Line (35.52 Kengeri-Whitefield) and the Sampige Line (41.478 km KSR Bengaluru-Airport) won't be accepted until K-RIDE receives money from the German investment and development bank KfW and the European Investment Bank (EIB).

Bengaluru Suburban Rail Project

The commuter rail network will comprise four corridors, and 57 stations, and cover 148.17 km.

KRIDE, a joint venture of the Government of Karnataka and the Ministry of Railways, is tasked with the implementation of the project.

Corridor-1 (Sampige line) connects Kempegowda International Airport.

Corridor 3 (Parijatha Line) from Kengeri to Whitefield is the other line.

Corridor 4-Kanaka Line is from Heelalige to Rajankunte. There are 19 stations over its 46 km of total length.

It is being built at the cost of Rs 15,767 crore.

The implementing agency is seeking 800 million euros in loans to finance the suburban rail project.

The project was first proposed in 1983 by a southern railways expert team and was estimated to span 58 km. The proposal was included in Karnataka's first transportation survey, commissioned by then-chief minister R Gundu Rao.

On 20 June 2022, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation for the suburban rail project in the city.

Bengaluru Suburban Rail Project will link Bengaluru to its satellite townships, suburbs, and surrounding rural areas through a rail-based rapid-transit system network.