New Delhi, jan 12: Reviewing the progress of Bangalore Suburban Railway Corridor, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal has said that the project should be planned in futuristic manner to incorporate the growing needs of city like Bengaluru.
He said that Suburban Project should be based on Make In India policy and boost Atma Nirbhar Bharat mission.
The review meeting was attended by senior officials of Railway Board and Karnataka government.
The Centre had approved the Railways Ministry’s proposal for construction of Bengaluru Suburban Rail Project (BSRP) in Bangalore City in the month of October last year.
The project envisages construction of 4 Suburban Rail Corridors with a total route length of 148.17 kms. The project will be implemented by Rail Infrastructure Development Company (Karnataka) Limited (KRIDE), a Joint Venture company set up by the Ministry of Railways with the Government of Karnataka as a special purpose vehicle.
The project is proposed to be completed in 6 years at an estimated cost of Rs 15,767 cr.
The project envisions creation of a dedicated Suburban Railway system in Bengaluru city to provide a safe, accessible and comfortable mode of public transport.
The project will ease traffic congestion, enhance rural-urban connectivity and provide a cleaner mobility solution to lakhs of daily commuters. It will provide an economic, efficient and eco-friendly transit alternative to the Garden City of Bengaluru.
It will alleviate the massive transport problem of Bengaluru and link all parts of the city in a seamless fashion. By providing rapid connectivity to Bangalore International Airport, IT Hubs and the Commercial centres, the rail-based network will boost productivity and growth by reducing commuting time.
It will integrate multiple modes of transport like the Metro, Railways and bus transport by constructing interchange hubs. This will ensure a smooth and seamless mode of transport to lakhs of daily commuters.
The project is expected to benefit the people by providing a safe, efficient and environment friendly transport system, reduction in commuting time, reduced fuel consumption, reduction in capital expenditure on road infrastructure, decrease in pollution and accident, enhanced Transit Oriented Development (TOD), increase in value of land bank in the corridor and generate additional revenue and creation of jobs etc.
The project is expected to be completed by 2026.