‘Critical for city, yet stuck': MP Tejasvi Surya slams delays in Bengaluru Suburban Railway Project
Bangalore South MP Tejasvi Surya expressed frustration over the slow progress of the Bengaluru Suburban Railway Project (BSRP) during a Public Accounts Committee meeting in Delhi on Thursday.
Criticising the lack of coordination between the railways and the Karnataka state government, Surya highlighted the project's minimal advancement, essential for easing Bengaluru's traffic congestion and providing affordable transport to lakhs of daily commuters.
'The Bengaluru Suburban Railway Project is critical for the city, yet it remains stuck with only a couple of tenders finalised,' Surya said, addressing the authorities managing the Rs 15,767-crore, 148-km suburban rail network. Approved in 2022, the project's completion has been delayed to 2027 due to stalled corridors.
Surya urged the railways to prioritise its execution to meet Bengaluru's urgent needs, and raised concerns about the underutilised railway lines operating at just 25 per cent capacity and the absence of a new direct express train between Bengaluru and Mumbai. 'For 30 years, no new direct train has been introduced between these two economic hubs. The Udyan Express is the only option, pushing travellers to costlier flights,' he said.
Surya also demanded the immediate introduction of a Superfast Express and reiterated the need for a proposed High-Speed Rail corridor connecting Bengaluru, Hubballi, Pune, and Mumbai. 'This high-speed corridor will transform connectivity and boost North Karnataka's economy,' he added.
The MP further called for expanding Bengaluru's suburban rail network, doubling critical railway lines, upgrading station infrastructure, and improving integration between railway and metro stations. 'These long-pending projects deserve serious attention, and the railways must act without delay,' Surya urged.
The delay in the Bengaluru Suburban Railway Project has also received extensive backlash from civic groups. Many have pointed out that the works on corridors 2 and 4 have stopped, with no clarity yet from K-RIDE, which is implementing the project.
'BSRP is slated to provide the 3rd option of public transport after bus and Metro. Unfortunately, BSRP has already faced numerous delays on various grounds. A classic example is: work on the most important Corridor 1 (to Airport Terminal) is yet to begin, 55 months after sanction. The present status does not bode well for the city and is bound to not only delay further the solution but will also lead to cost escalations,' Rajkumar Dugar, convenor of Citizens 4 Citizens forum, said.
A December 2024 expert committee report from the Indian Institute of Science also states that almost 20 lakh people will directly benefit from using BSRP corridors for their daily commute.
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