Bengaluru
oi-Madhuri Adnal
The long-delayed Bengaluru Suburban Rail Project has received a fresh push after K-RIDE floated new tenders for the ambitious double-decker rail-road stretch between Mathikere and Yeshwantpur under Corridor-4.
The Bengaluru Suburban Rail Project’s Corridor-4 (Kanaka Line) sees renewed tenders for its planned Mathikere-Yeshwantpur double-decker viaduct, featuring a road flyover below rail tracks.
According to reports, the latest tenders are for the construction of a 7.795-km elevated stretch between Benniganahalli and Shettihalli under Corridor-4, also known as the Kanaka Line. One of the biggest highlights of the project is the proposed double-decker structure planned along Mohankumar Road between Mathikere and Yeshwantpur.
The proposed design will reportedly feature a road flyover on the lower deck, while suburban railway tracks will run above it on the upper deck. The model is being viewed as an innovative space-saving infrastructure solution for densely populated parts of north Bengaluru where road expansion possibilities remain limited.
Officials are hopeful the renewed tender process will help accelerate work after earlier bidding attempts failed to attract suitable responses. Reports suggest this is the third attempt to invite bids for the double-decker section of the Bengaluru Suburban Rail Project.
The Bengaluru Suburban Rail Project is considered one of the city’s biggest long-term public transport upgrades aimed at improving suburban connectivity and reducing dependence on private vehicles. The project proposes four major rail corridors connecting key outskirts and suburban regions with Bengaluru city.
Among them, Corridor-4 has emerged as one of the priority routes due to increasing residential growth and traffic movement towards northern parts of Bengaluru. Once operational, the corridor is expected to improve daily commute options and reduce pressure on several congested roads.
Transport and urban mobility experts have repeatedly stressed that Bengaluru urgently requires faster suburban rail expansion as vehicle numbers continue to rise sharply every year. Many also believe projects like the double-decker rail-road structure could become a model for future infrastructure development in space-constrained city areas.
The renewed tender process comes at a time when multiple transport infrastructure works, including expansions of Namma Metro and elevated corridor projects, are simultaneously underway across Bengaluru.
While commuters have heard repeated announcements surrounding the Bengaluru Suburban Rail Project over the years, the latest development has once again raised expectations that visible on-ground progress could finally pick up in the coming months.
