Bengaluru suburban rail project completion pushed to 2030

Bengaluru Suburban Rail Project deadline pushed to 2030 from 2026 due to land, construction, and coach delays, drawing PM Modi’s displeasure

The ambitious Bangalore Suburban Rail Project, originally scheduled for completion by October 2026, has been delayed by nearly four years. Officials from K-Ride (Rail Infrastructure Development Company [Karnataka] Limited) informed Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a recent PRAGATI (Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation) review meeting that the 148 km network will now be completed by March 2030.

Approved in 2020, the project was expected to transform urban mobility in Bengaluru by easing congestion and providing affordable connectivity across the city’s expanding suburbs. However, land acquisition hurdles, delays in construction, and difficulties in procuring rolling stock have slowed progress considerably.

Under the revised schedule, the 25 km Mallige line (Benniganahalli–Chikkabanavara) is targeted for completion by December 2028, while the 46 km Kanaka line (Heelage–Rajanakunte) is expected by June 2029. The remaining two corridors—the 41 km Sampige line (KSR Bengaluru Nagar–Yelahanka–Devanahalli) and the 35 km Parijatha line (Kengeri–Whitefield)—are now slated for completion by March 2030.

Prime Minister Modi expressed strong displeasure over the delays, noting that the project was first proposed in 1983 and has faced repeated setbacks. While laying the foundation stone in 2022, he had announced a 40-month deadline, which has now been exceeded by 41 months. Modi directed Cabinet Secretary T.V. Somanathan to involve the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) in examining losses caused by the delay and fixing accountability.

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Officials explained that the Sampige corridor, initially prioritised as the airport link, was deferred because it runs parallel to the Namma Metro’s Airport Line, raising concerns about foreign funding overlap. Land acquisition has been completed for the Kanaka route, while the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) has assured that pending acquisition for the Mallige corridor will be finished soon. Approval for the revised alignment of the Sampige line via B.K. Halli and Aerospace Park was granted by South Western Railway just before the PRAGATI meeting.

Rolling stock procurement has also posed challenges. K-Ride’s initial plan to lease trains failed due to lack of private interest, forcing the agency to opt for purchasing metro-style, air-conditioned coaches from the Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai.

Officials admitted that stronger state-level prioritisation could have accelerated progress, contrasting the suburban rail’s slow pace with the urgency shown for other infrastructure projects. The new timeline underscores the need for coordinated efforts to ensure Bengaluru’s long-awaited suburban rail system finally becomes a reality by 2030.

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