Bengaluru: The Karnataka government has given approval to purchase 306 train coaches on a rolling basis for the Bengaluru suburban railway project, after plans of completing it through lease failed. The total share for the state in the project will reportedly be Rs 2,135 crore. Karnataka Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs HK Patil said the total cost is Rs 4,300 crore and the state would bear 50 per cent of it.
"The estimated cost for the rolling stock for the project is Rs 4,300 crore, out of which the state will bear Rs 2,135 crore (50 percent) and the remaining 50 percent will be borne by the Union government. This amount will be provided to K-RIDE to purchase 306 coaches over the next five years," the minister said, quoted a report in Moneycontrol.
A meeting of Karnataka Cabinet was held on November 28 which approved the state's share and the cost. The project is being implemented a joint venture between the rail ministry and the Karnataka government through Karnataka Rail Infrastructure Development Enterprises (K-RIDE), the report added.
K-RIDE is planning to induct metro-like AC coaches, the report further said. Minister Patil said that Corridor C2 (Byappanahalli- Chikkabanavara) will be operational by December 2026. He added that Corridor 4 will be operated from Heelalige to Rajanakunte by December 2027.
What Happened With Lease Plan of Karnataka Govt?
Karnataka Minister HK Patil said the tender for coaches was floated for a lease model in January 2023. However, he said, "Companies did not show interest, so we decided to go for the purchase model. This is to avoid a situation where the corridors are ready but there are no trains to run on them."
The construction body, K-RIDE might be inducting 300 coaches (50 six-coach trains) for the 149 km suburban rail network, the Moneycontrol report stated.
The Bengaluru suburban railway project was approved by the Union Government in 2020 and it recommended that the state induct coaches under the lease model to ensure less costs. The English news site mentioned that the cost of the project fell from Rs 18,621 crore to Rs 15,767 crore due to the PPP model for rolling stock.
K-RIDE's Infra Plan
K-RIDE is planning to operate six-coach trains for 19 hours a day (from 5am to 12 midnight). Moneycontrol mentioned that the operational speed will be 32 kmph.
Furthermore, additional trains will be made operational based on demand to cover the peak hours rush. As per the report, the total number of coaches required for the four suburban rail corridors is likely to be: 342 in 2026, 396 in 2031, and 564 in 2041.