Bengaluru On Track To Overtake Chennai, To Get India's Largest Circular Railway Network

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Monday said that Bengaluru will get a 287-km circular railway which will provide complete connectivity over seven railway paths.

According to the Railway Minister, the circular railway, along with the ongoing Bengaluru Suburban Railway Project (BSRP) is the only solution to solve the transport issues of the city.

"We have sanctioned Rs 7 crore for doing a Detailed Project Report of a circular railway. For a ring railway kind of system, which will basically provide complete connectivity to the city as it grows in the next 20 to 30 years," he told reporters.

The circular railway will have 10 spokes which are basically inward connections, Vaishnaw said and added that this project is still in the survey stage.

Bengaluru, with its 149-km suburban railway and the potential expansion of the circular railway, has the opportunity not only to exceed Chennai's 235.5 km circular railway but also to establish India's largest suburban railway network after Kolkata.

While Vaishnaw has not disclosed the specific timeframe for the realization of this project, insiders within the South Western Railway (SWR) informed Deccan Herald that it could materialize in the next five years provided "everything goes smoothly".

The objective of the circular railway is to establish a hub-and-spoke model for public transportation, seamlessly connecting the city's core with seven spokes (or arteries) situated approximately 20-25 km away. This system will facilitate the operation of suburban trains between the city and its suburban towns.

Additionally, it will streamline the direct movement of trains from Mysuru to destinations like Salem or Tumakuru. In short, the circular railway mirrors the concept of a Peripheral Ring Road (PRR) within the railway network.

The network around the city connects Nidvanda, Doddaballapur, Devanahalli, Malur, Heelalige, Solur and Nidvanda.

According to railway sources, the SWR's Construction Organization will undertake the study, and tenders for the project will be invited soon. The completion of the report is expected to be completed by September 2024 after which a Detailed Project Report (DPR) is likely to be initiated in 2025, with a projected duration of at least one year.

Assuming all other aspects are finalized, it is envisaged that 80-90 km of the circular railway can be constructed annually. Sources told the daily that the circular railway will comprise at least two tracks and will be fully electrified.

However, Prakash Mandoth, president of the Bengaluru Metro and Suburban Passengers' Association, claims that the project will not be much beneficial unless it is connected with the 149 km BSRP. "We need seamless integration of the two or else there will be missing links. The railways must connect all industrial hubs and neighbouring towns with the city's core," the daily quoted him as saying.

It has to be noted that the SWR has rejected the proposal to extend the BSRP to nearby towns. In Phase 2, the agency has suggested a 352-km expansion of the BSRP to connect with Mysuru, Tumakuru, Kolar, Bangarpet, Hosur, and Gauribidanur.