Railway electrification on the key Bengaluru–Mysuru–Mangaluru corridor remains stalled due to prolonged delays in connecting critical transmission infrastructure, hampering the operational rollout of a fully electric rail network. The ongoing delay not only risks derailing the Indian Railways’ electrification timeline in Karnataka but also hinders significant economic and environmental gains expected from phasing out diesel locomotives.
Despite the South Western Railway (SWR) zone completing major traction sub-stations at Honnavalli, Aalur, Shravanabelagola, and Sakleshpur—necessary for supplying electric traction on the route—the facilities lie dormant, awaiting energy supply from the state’s transmission grid. Officials within the railway division say their infrastructure has been ready since late 2023, but energisation has been impossible without completion of essential power connections from Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Ltd (KPTCL). A key bottleneck is a pending 110-kV transmission line meant to link KPTCL’s Belagumba sub-station to the railway’s Honnavalli site via Tiptur and Arsikere taluks. As of June 2025, less than half of the required 25 transmission towers have been constructed, over a year since the work was sanctioned. The delay is attributed largely to right-of-way issues and unresolved compensation disputes with local landowners, particularly farmers along the proposed route.
Senior officials within SWR have flagged these obstructions as a critical policy bottleneck. “The railways have invested considerable resources to build the sub-stations. But without the grid connection from the state power utility, this infrastructure remains underutilised. We need timely coordination and resolution from the state side,” said one of the senior officials. The delay undercuts Indian Railways’ broader ambition of achieving 100% electrification across its network, particularly in southern India, under the Viksit Bharat vision. The programme not only promises to reduce carbon emissions but also aims to generate large operational savings by shifting away from imported diesel fuel.
Data provided by railway sources suggests that electrification of the eight diesel-powered trains currently operating on this corridor could lead to monthly savings of up to ₹4.36 crore. These trains are estimated to burn over 7.6 lakh litres of diesel each month. Transitioning to electric traction would eliminate this consumption and drastically reduce both fuel expenditure and environmental impact. Despite these potential benefits, the standoff between railway progress and state power infrastructure remains unresolved. KPTCL has reportedly struggled with acquiring clearances and negotiating compensation packages for landowners. Experts in power transmission infrastructure note that transmission line construction, especially in semi-rural belts with fragmented landholding patterns, often encounters pushback unless compensation is revised to reflect market conditions.
“There needs to be an integrated governance model for projects of this scale. Electrification is not a railway-only issue; it depends on the transmission readiness of the state utilities. What we’re seeing is a gap in coordinated execution,” observed an energy transition expert working with South Indian infrastructure development projects. The electrification route in question plays a critical role in connecting Bengaluru, Karnataka’s capital and economic engine, with two other vital cities: Mysuru, a major cultural and educational hub, and Mangaluru, a coastal trade centre. With increasing rail traffic across both passenger and freight sectors, full electrification was expected to significantly enhance line capacity, reduce pollution, and improve punctuality.
But in the absence of energised traction infrastructure, diesel operations continue, keeping emissions high and costs rising. Moreover, the idle capital already invested in sub-stations is accruing opportunity loss. Sustainable transport advocates warn that unless the missing transmission links are resolved urgently, India’s rail decarbonisation efforts may falter in high-density corridors like this one. The delay also reflects the broader coordination challenges between central agencies such as Indian Railways and state-run utilities like KPTCL. While Indian Railways operates at a national scale, power transmission and land acquisition fall under state purview, often leading to mismatched timelines and bureaucratic bottlenecks.
In this case, the SWR’s readiness appears undermined by the state’s slower progress on enabling infrastructure. The absence of a formalised coordination mechanism or single-window system for multi-agency infrastructure rollouts exacerbates the problem. Karnataka’s power transmission body has yet to release an updated timeline for completing the Belagumba–Honnavalli line, even as pressure mounts from central officials to deliver. Meanwhile, rail operations continue to rely on diesel locomotives for one of southern India’s busiest sectors—contradicting both climate goals and cost-efficiency mandates. As Indian Railways prepares for its next phase of green transformation, lessons from Karnataka’s stalled corridor will likely influence how future projects are coordinated. A joint taskforce model, linking rail, energy, and land departments, could help address the delays that frequently stall cross-sectoral public infrastructure.
For now, Bengaluru’s rail electrification dream hangs in the balance—not due to lack of will or budget, but because of missing links in the state’s energy delivery chain. Whether this can be resolved in the coming monsoon months will determine how fast India moves on its track to sustainable and low-emission mobility.
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