Bengaluru Commuter Rail

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Bengaluru Commuter Rail
Overview
OwnerIndian Railways
Area servedIn and around Bangalore
LocaleBengaluru, Karnataka, India
Transit typeCommuter rail
Number of lines4
Operation
Operator(s)Bengaluru Suburban Rail Company Limited
Technical
System length148.17 kilometres (92.07 mi)
Track gaugeBroad Gauge
System map

Bangalore City Railway Map with functioning metro lines

Bengaluru Commuter Rail is a under construction suburban rail network for the city of Bangalore. A Commuter Rail system for the city was first proposed in 1983. Since then, several different route proposals were made but no Commuter Rail project took shape. It was finally approved in the 2019 Railway Budget. On 1 February 2020, finance minister, Nirmala Sitharaman mentioned in her budget that the project would be implemented at cost of Rs 18,600 crores. The central government would provide 20% of the equity and facilitate external assistance up to 60 percent of the project cost. It will be first of its kind and unique in India as it will have metro like facilities and rolling stock. It has slowest design speed among all the new commuter rail projects currently being implemented in India as Nagpur broad-gauge Metro and National Capital Region Transport Corporation are building rail tracks for design speed of 200 km/h with operating speed of 160 km/h.

Commuter rail along with Hyperloop,[1] High speed Airport Train,[2] Intercity trains, Metro rail, Metro Neo, Metrolite will provide rail based public transport to the Bengaluru' s general public.

History[]

A Commuter rail service existed in Bengaluru as early as in 1963 for HAL employees to commute from KSR Bengaluru to Vimanapura Railway station. A formal Commuter Rail system for Bangalore had first been proposed by a team from Southern Railway in 1983. Their recommendation had been to invest in 3 commuter rail lines and a 58-km ring railway. The package was estimated to cost Rs. 6,500 million in 1983 terms (US$628.6 million) spread over a 25-year period.

In 1993, the State of Karnataka established another committee to look into mass rapid transit. This committee recommended essentially the same put forward by Southern Railway in 1983 and the same circular railway.

In 2007, RITES (Rail Indian Technical and Economic Services) was commissioned by the Government of Karnataka to conduct a CTTP (Comprehensive Traffic & Transportation Plan) for the city of Bengaluru. Their report called for 10 Commuter Rail routes totaling 204.0 km. As per the report, Commuter Rail (along existing rail routes) would cost much lesser than mass rapid transit systems.

Proposal made by Praja in 'Call To Action' Report (July 2010)

In July 2010, a proposal was made by Praja Bangalore in a 'Call To Action' report. This plan was supported & presented at the center for infrastructure, Sustainable Transportation and Urban Planning (CisTup), Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore. The proposal had suggested a 376 km network around three hubs (Yeswanthpura Junction, Benniganahalli & Yelahanka Junction) with 42 new stations.[3] A key recommendation was to use the congested KSR Bengaluru only as a pass-through station.

In November 2011, RITES conducted a feasibility study exclusively for commuter rail services in Bengaluru and submitted their final report to the Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT) in November 2012.[4] The 179-page report studied all existing routes totalling 440.8 km of the rail network in & around the city & development of Commuter Rail services over three phases.[5]

Existing and Proposed Rail Network

The state government approved the commuter rail system on 5 July 2013. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah approved the system in the 2013-14 state budget that he presented on 9 July 2013.[6] The budget proposed the setting up of the Bengaluru Suburban Rail Corporation Limited, a special purpose vehicle (SPV) to implement the project estimated to cost ₹87.59 billion (US$1.2 billion).[7][8]

In the 2016-17 Railway budget, Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu announced a partnership with Karnataka government for a Rs. 9000-crore Commuter Rail network for Bengaluru, but did not allocate any funds.[9][10] On 3 February 2016, the state government proposed a modified version of the original RITES plan. This looked to kick-start the project with a Rs. 1,000-crore investment to connect Mandya with Kengeri, Whitefield with Baiyappanahalli and Tumakuru with Yeshwanthpura Junction. The state government released 100 crore towards this.[11] The state appointed RITES again to study the feasibility of the project, and the latter's survey deemed the project as feasible.[9] However, Railways stated that the proposed Phase Two of the project (linking Tumakuru and Yeshwanthpura Junction) was not feasible.[12]

In November 2018, RITES prepared a revised plan for a 161 km network that was again amended in August 2019 to reduce costs. Out of 82 stations, 29 stations were deleted, route length reduced to 148 km & costs lowered to Rs. 16,000 crores. This was finally accepted by Government of India.[13]

Route proposals[]

A map of the finalised alignment of the suburban rail overlaid with the Namma metro route post phase 1 and 2 expansions

A) Routes recommended by RITES for CTTP - 2007[]

Corridor Length (km)
Kengeri – KSR Bengaluru 13.0
KSR Bengaluru – Whitefield 24.0
KSR Bengaluru – Baiyappanahalli Via Lottegollahalli 23.0
Lottegollahalli – Yelahanka Junction 7.0
Banaswadi – BMR Boundary 29.0
Kengeri – BMR Boundary 9.0
Yeshwanthpura Junction – BMR Boundary 14.0
BMR Boundary – Hosur 12.0
BMR Boundary – Ramanagara 23.0
BMR Boundary – Tumakuru 50.0
Total 204.0

B) Routes proposed by Praja in July, 2010[]

Route Distance (km)
Yeshwanthpura Junction – Yelahanka Junction – Devanahalli – Chikkaballapura 60
Benniganahalli – Thanisandra Y elahanka Junction – Doddaballapura 37
Yeshwanthpura Junction – Benninganahalli – Anekal Road – Hosur 66
Tumakuru or Nelamangala – Yeshwanthpura Junction – Benniganahalli 83
Yelahanka Junction – Benniganahalli – Whitefield – Malur – Bangarpet 80
Yelahanka Junction – Yeshwanthpura Junction – KSR Bengaluru – Kengeri – Ramanagara 50
Total route length (km) 376

C) Routes studied by RITES, as per their final report of November, 2012[]

From To Distance (km)
KSR Bengaluru Mandya 92.88
KSR Bengaluru Yeshwanthpura Junction 5.35
Yeshwanthpura Junction Tumakuru 64.00
Yeshwanthpura Junction Yelahanka Junction 12.45
Yelahanka Junction Baiyappanahalli 19.23
Yeshwanthpura Junction Baiyappanahalli 16.12
Yelahanka Junction Doddaballapura 20.72
Yelahanka Junction Chikkaballapura 46.05
Baiyappanahalli Hosur 48.59
KSR Bengaluru Baiyappanahalli 10.76
Baiyappanahalli Bangarpet Junction 59.45
Soladevanahalli Kunigal 45.2
Total → 440.8

D) Routes proposed by RITES & approved[14][]

Route Distance Ridership

(Estd, Lakhs)

Length (km) No. of Stations
Elevated Surface Elevated Surface
KSR Bengaluru – Yelahanka Junction – Devanahalli (Sampige Line) 41.40 2.82 18.98 22.42 8 7
Chikkabanavara Junction – Yeshwanthpura Junction – Benniganahalli (Mallige Line) 25.01 2.03 12.905 12.105 6 8
Kengeri – KSR Bengaluru – Bengaluru Contonment – Whitefield.[15] (Parijaata Line) 35.52 1.64 10.40 25.12 4 10
Heelalige – Yelahanka Junction – Rajanukunte (Kanaka Line) 46.24 3.34 13.29 32.95 4 15
Total 148.17 9.83 55.575 92.595 22 40*

*The total number of stations is 58 (figures under individual routes include interchange stations).

Current Status[]

Though approved in principle by Government of India, budget allocations have been paltry over the last few years as only token amounts have been allocated.[16][17] On 7 October 2020, the project was approved by Prime Minister's Office and the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (headed by the Prime Minister).[18][19] The State Government commenced providing budgetary support for the Commuter Rail project & 500 crores was allocated in the 2020-21 budget.[20][21] Meanwhile, K-RIDE[22] has kick-started the Suburban project by calling tenders for Land Survey, hiring staff etc.[23][24][25][26]

Two priority lines will be taken up first as per Government of Karnataka's advise.[27] These are Mallige Line and Kanaka Line. The Commuter rail routes are named after local flowers.[28]

Routes[]

Route-1: Sampige Line

Route-2: Mallige Line

Route-3: Parijaata Line

Route-4: Kanaka Line

Depots[]

Two depots have been planned. Jnanabharathi depot would be spread over 56.9 acres and Devanahalli depot would be on 61.2 acres. However, these are not on the priority routes 2 and 4. Hence, feasibility for a depot at Huskuru along Kanaka Line is being explored[29] besides other options.

Features[]

DPR for the project has included many rare and unique features in System.[30]

  1. Many Stations will act as Integrated commercial hubs.
  2. Many Stations will be built as Intermodal Integration hubs were people can switch easily with other modes of transport like Metro.
  3. Stations will have Automated fare collection system and Platform screen doors.[31]
  4. DPR suggests that Metro Train sets (EMU) – RS 13 series, which is used in Delhi Metro and manufactured at M/s BEML, Bengaluru, is the most suitable for Bengaluru Commuter Rail system.

Current operation by Indian Railways[]

  1. Indian Railways south west railway zone operates several suburban train services from Bengaluru to Hosur, Jolarpettai, Tumakuru, Marikuppam, Bangarpet, Hindupur, Mysuru and Hassan.
  2. Hosur and Jolarpettai is across the border in Tamil Nadu and Hindupur is in Andhra Pradesh, while Tumakuru, Bangarpet, Mysuru and Hassan are in Karnataka.
  3. Service to and from Hassan, Hindupur, Hosur and Tumakuru will operate from Yesvantpur station in the city's northern suburb, while service to Marikuppan, Bangarpet and Jolarpettai will be to and from Bengaluru main city station.
  4. The zonal railway has been operating daily suburban service between Bengaluru and Mysuru. Diesel Electrical Multiple Unit (DEMU) and Mainline Electrical Unit (MEMU) cars will be used for the services on the suburban routes.[32]

Integrated intermodal and public transport experience with last mile connectivity[]

Comprehensive Mobility Plan for Bengaluru provides a roadmap for integrated public transport experience.[33]

Bengaluru Suburban Rail stations will be integrated with other modes of transport for seamless transfer between travel modes - as in European cities. Public Bus Service, Metro trains, Inter-city bus, Inter-city trains, Metrolite, Metro Neo, Hyperloop, BRTS, Peripheral Ring Road, Bus priority corridors, Airport metro, Airport Bus service, High speed Airport Train, will be integrated with the Suburban train network.

Public Bicycle Sharing (PBS) and the Shared Micro-Mobility System initiatives have been launched to provide last mile connectivity to suburban rail stations.[34]

K-RIDE plans to evolve all 57 stations to integrated commercial hubs (smart station hubs) where people can work, park, shop, eat and trade. Approaches to suburban train stations will be provided from all directions.[35]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Expect a hyperloop corridor in 10 years".
  2. ^ "Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai's high-speed rail link move stumps officials and experts | Bengaluru News - Times of India". The Times of India.
  3. ^ "CRS: Call to Action Report".
  4. ^ Aparajita Ray (18 June 2012). "RITES sent commuter rail feasibility study to DULT". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 12 January 2014. Retrieved 7 April 2013.
  5. ^ Suchith Kidiyoor (10 November 2012). "440-km commuter rail network planned in Karnataka". Dnaindia.com. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
  6. ^ ref>Chitra V. Ramani (13 July 2013). "Green signal for suburban train system". The Hindu. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
  7. ^ "Bangalore suburban rail a Kharge-Siddu dream". The Times of India. TNN. 13 July 2013. Archived from the original on 30 July 2013. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
  8. ^ "Govt to set up SPV to implement Bangalore suburban rail system". Business Standard. Press Trust of India. 12 July 2013. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
  9. ^ a b "Phase 1 of suburban rail network feasible: George". The Times of India.
  10. ^ "State seeks Centre's nod for suburban rail project". The Hindu. Special Correspondent. 25 September 2015. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 29 September 2020.CS1 maint: others (link)
  11. ^ "Suburban rail gets a push, railways to link 4 stations". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
  12. ^ "Whitefield-Byappanahalli suburban rail link okayed". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
  13. ^ "RITES submits revised DPR of Bengaluru Suburban Rail project".
  14. ^ "Sampige, Mallige, Parijaata, Kanaka: Bengaluru suburban rail corridors may be named after flowers". Deccan Herald. 7 March 2021. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  15. ^ "Bengaluru's suburban rail dream now closer to reality". The Times of India. 5 November 2019. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
  16. ^ Philip, Christin Mathew (5 February 2020). "Rs 18,600-cr Bengaluru suburban rail gets just Rs 1 crore in Pink Book". The Times of India. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
  17. ^ "Budget 2020: Push to Bengaluru suburban rail project will boost urban transport in Karnataka". ETGovernment.com. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
  18. ^ "K-RIDE floats Land Survey Tender for Bengaluru Suburban Rail". 27 February 2020.
  19. ^ "K-RIDE begins survey process for suburban rail project". 27 February 2020.
  20. ^ "Karnataka Budget: Rs 500 crore for Bengaluru suburban railway comes as a saving grace". Deccan Herald. 6 March 2020. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
  21. ^ "Suburban Rail Project Bangalore: Mooted 37 yrs ago, 148km Bengaluru suburban rail project wins nod | Bengaluru News - Times of India". The Times of India.
  22. ^ "Suburban rail SPV to take shape in a month". Deccan Herald. 5 July 2019. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
  23. ^ "Tender for Land Survey floated". The Times of India.
  24. ^ "Preparatory works begin for suburban rail project". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
  25. ^ "Long-pending Bengaluru Suburban Rail Project, worth Rs 17,000 crore awaits clearance from Centre; details here". The Financial Express. 6 December 2019. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
  26. ^ "With Finance Ministry Clearing Bangalore Suburban Project, K-Ride Starts Hiring Engineers". 27 June 2020.
  27. ^ "Latest Real Estate News, Information & Trends 2021". realtybeat.in. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  28. ^ Philip, Christin Mathew (6 March 2021). "Bengaluru suburban rail corridors likely to be named after flowers". The Times of India. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  29. ^ "https://twitter.com/christinmp_toi/status/1413665455789596672". Twitter. Retrieved 10 July 2021. External link in |title= (help)
  30. ^ https://kride.in/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Detailed-Project-Report-BSRP.pdf
  31. ^ "Bengaluru suburban rail to offer Metro-like facilities; launch only by 2026 | Bengaluru News - Times of India". The Times of India.
  32. ^ "Railways to restart skeletal suburban train services in and around Bengaluru". The News Minute. 4 December 2020. Retrieved 4 December 2020.
  33. ^ "Bengaluru's Draft Mobility Plan in a nutshell: Elevated corridors get Rs 18,480 crore". 18 December 2019.
  34. ^ "DULT calls operators to set up bicycle sharing network under 'Trin Trin' initiative in Bengaluru". 16 September 2021.
  35. ^ "Explained: What is the Bengaluru Suburban Rail Project, and how will it help people living in and around the city?". 30 June 2021.

External links[]

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