By Express News Service BENGALURU: The suburban rail network for the city will now run across four corridors to 148 km, and is estimated to cost Rs 16,035 crore. This is down by 13 km from the previous network for the city submitted in November 2018 by consultancy firm--Rail India Technical and Economic Service (RITES). The deadline for completing the project is 2025. The revised feasibility report was submitted by RITES to the Constructions Department of South Western Railway Zone on Friday night. Out of the 148.17-km network, 55.575 km will be elevated while 92.595 km of network will be at grade level. The number of stations has been brought down to 57 from the previously planned 86 stations. The report proposes four corridors: Krantivira Sangolli Rayanna-Yeshwantpur-Yelahanka-Devanahalli-Kempe Gowda International Airport (41.4 km); Baiyappanahalli-Banaswadi-Lottegehalli-Whitefield-Yeshwantpur (25.01 km); Kengeri-Cantonment-Whitefield (35.52 km) and Hellalige-Baiyappanahalli-Channasandra-Yelahanka-Rajanakunte (46.24 km). The route which was supposed to clash with the alignment of the Metro network-- the Nelamangala to Chikkabanavara line, has been dropped from the new plan. “Priority will be given to implementation of the Bengaluru city station to KIA route. The route will help those in Central and North Bengaluru reach the airport. BMRCL’s K R Puram to KIA route will ensure connectivity for South and East Bengaluru. This way the entire city will have easy access to KIA,” said a top railway official. As soon as one corridor is completed, it will be declared open, he added. On the objections of BMRCL to the Kengeri corridor, an official said that this corridor would only be taken up last. Due to the reduction in length of the route, the revised estimate now is Rs 16,035 crore at the time of project commencement, and this is expected to escalate to Rs 18,133 crore at the time of completion in 2025. The previous proposal for 161-km had specified Rs 19,500 crore during commencement and it would go up to Rs 22,242 crore in six years. “RITES was entrusted with the responsibility of preparing a revised Detailed Project Report on June 7. A one-month deadline was fixed and RITES had asked for a two-month period for completing the report. It was submitted on July 19 by the organisation,” specified a senior railway official. Another official said, “The report needs to be first approved by the joint venture between the State and the Centre, K-RIDE (Karnataka-Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation) Its new Chief Executive Officer Amit Garg assumes office on Wednesday. The report will then have to be okayed by the Railway Board and then the Cabinet.” RITES has also recommended extending the network to double the present length. “It has suggested extending the Devanahalli line up to Chikaballapur and the Rajanakunte line up to Tumukuru. For the other two lines, it has proposed extensions on both ends - Whitefield upto Bangarpet on side and Ramangaram from the Kengeri end for one line and from Hosur to Heelalige on one end and Rajanakunte to Doddaballapur on the other end,” explained the official.

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