Technical Expertise To Fast-Track Bengaluru Suburban Rail Project

Union Minister for Railways, Ashwini Vaishnaw, called on the Karnataka government to expedite the Bengaluru suburban railway project by utilizing the expertise of professionals from the Rail Infrastructure Development Company (Karnataka) Limited (K-RIDE), a joint venture between the state government and the Ministry of Railways.

Vaishnaw emphasized the need for technical experts in KRIDE to accelerate the project, stating, "A company called KRIDE, which the state government controls, is doing the Bengaluru suburban railway project. It doesn't have people with high technical expertise. I request the Karnataka government to engage such experts so that the project work can be expedited," as quoted by news agency PTI.

He highlighted the significance of the Bengaluru suburban railway project for the public and expressed concern over KRIDE's current lack of technical expertise. Vaishnaw cited the example of E Sreedharan, known for transforming the public transport system in India, as the kind of expert needed for the project.

The project's completion date was recently pushed back by the Siddaramaiah-led government in Karnataka from December 2025 to December 2027, leading to criticism from Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya. Vaishnaw echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the importance of technical expertise in the railway sector and urging the state government to involve such professionals in KRIDE.