Rail corridor between Bengaluru Cantonment and Whitefield, a project initially conceived two decades ago, has faced multiple delays despite numerous inspections and reviews by railway authorities.
The South Western Railways (SWR) has now set a new completion deadline of December 2025. The project, which is expected to ease congestion on some of Bengaluru’s busiest rail routes, has run into several obstacles, hindering its timely execution.
Recently, the Minister of State for Railways and the new General Manager of South Western Railways conducted a joint inspection to review the project’s progress. The plan, first sanctioned in 2018-2019, aims to relieve the strain on the railway corridor that currently handles an average of 85 trains per day. The quadrupling of tracks, coupled with the remodelling of key yards at Byappanahalli, KR Pura, and other stations, along with the installation of automatic signalling systems, will significantly boost the number of suburban train services. These improvements are crucial to meet the growing local demand for public transport in Bengaluru, which continues to battle severe traffic congestion.
However, the project’s progress has been slow due to a combination of factors. One of the most significant challenges is the construction work’s location through some of Bengaluru’s most densely populated areas. The movement of heavy construction vehicles, essential for the work, has been restricted to nighttime hours due to traffic constraints. The availability of space for construction is another hurdle, with much of the land required for additional tracks already occupied by existing infrastructure or urban settlements. In many areas, the narrow railway land can barely accommodate the required tracks, further complicating the project’s execution.
Additionally, the stretch between Bengaluru Cantonment and Whitefield features automatic signalling systems and telecommunication cables running along the existing tracks, complicating construction. Any work that involves earthworks or the building of retaining walls requires careful coordination to avoid damaging the delicate cables, adding another layer of complexity. Encroachment along railway land, particularly near the Tannery Road Bridge, has further slowed down progress.
In a recent development, SWR announced the temporary closure of Bengaluru East Station for passenger traffic to facilitate construction. This station, which previously serviced 41 trains daily, including 15 express trains and 26 MEMU passenger services, will see its platforms dismantled to accommodate new rail lines. This temporary closure is expected to cause some disruption to commuters, although it is seen as a necessary step in the larger scheme of the project.
The quadrupling project was initially planned to stretch from KSR Bengaluru City to Whitefield. However, due to limited railway land and dense urban settlements along the stretch from KSR Bengaluru, plans for this section were eventually abandoned. The project scope was revised to cover only the Bengaluru Cantonment to Whitefield stretch, which has further contributed to the delays. The project is now estimated to cost Rs 492 crore, with its responsibility transferred to the Gati Shakti Unit of SWR in June 2022 from the railway’s Construction wing.
As Bengaluru’s infrastructure continues to face pressure from a rapidly growing population, the need for efficient, sustainable transportation solutions becomes more urgent. The successful completion of the Bengaluru Cantonment-Whitefield rail quadrupling project promises to provide much-needed relief to the city’s strained transportation system, but it remains to be seen whether the revised deadline will hold. For now, the residents of Bengaluru and its surrounding areas must wait as the project inches closer to its completion.
