In a bid to decongest city traffic by running more commuter trains, South Western Railway has proposed doubling of Yelahanka-Devanahalli (23km) and quadrupling of Byappanahalli-Hosur (48.5km) sections.
SWR has invited a tender for final location survey (FLS) for these two crucial lines. Tender is likely to be finalised by December-end.
This comes after railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw last month instructed SWR to take up a feasibility study for improving capacity of high-density railway lines in and around Bengaluru by doubling/tripling/quadrupling them, on the lines of Mumbai’s famed suburban rail system.
Sources said the ministry is unhappy over the slow pace of the 148-km suburban rail project being executed by Karnataka Rail Infrastructure Development Company Limited (K-RIDE). This has prompted the railways to enhance the capacity of existing lines to operate additional suburban trains.
FLS will help identify the amount of land required as well as alignment for these two lines. “This tender is for a survey. After that, feasibility will be assessed and a report submitted to the railway ministry” said Aneesh Hegde, chief public relations officer, SWR.
KN Krishna Prasad, railway activist and member of NGO Karnataka Railway Vedike, said: “This announcement shouldn’t be an election stunt. I fear quadrupling of Byappanahalli-Hosur may clash with suburban rail’s Heelalige-Rajanukunte corridor since both will run along the existing track. In fact, railways may have to acquire private land for the quadrupling work. The doubling of Yelahanka-Devanahalli section is a welcome move but the line should be extended from Devanahalli to Chikkaballapur. Railways should also provide a branch line to the airport terminal for passengers’ benefit.”