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Time of India
03-08-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Bengaluru suburban rail project hits dead end as L&T walks out
Bengaluru: With just three months left on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 40-month promise regarding the Bengaluru Suburban Rail Project, the city's long-awaited transport lifeline has come to a grinding halt. The reason: a major contractual fallout between Rail Infrastructure Development Company-Karnataka (K-Ride), the implementing agency, and construction giant Larsen & Toubro (L&T). L&T, which was awarded two key corridors — Benniganahalli-Chikkabanavara (Corridor-2) and Heelalige-Rajanukunte (Corridor-4) — has abruptly terminated its contracts, accusing K-Ride of failing to provide the land and work fronts necessary to proceed. You Can Also Check: Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru It has moved the courts to restrain K-Ride from invoking the bank guarantee deposited. L&T has also demanded Rs 505 crore in dues for completed work and losses arising from what it called "employer breaches". K-Ride, in turn, has called the termination "unilateral" and "illegal", alleging it reflected L&T's lack of commitment to the project. The 148km suburban rail network, billed as a mass mobility solution for Bengaluru's commuters, was flagged off with much fanfare in June 2022. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Featuring Brigade Ebony™ at Brigade Showcase 2025 | Aug 8–10, Sheraton Grand, Brigade Gateway Brigade Group Learn More Undo But 37 months on, only about 22% of the scope has been completed, even though 96% of the scheduled time has passed, according to L&T. The firm claimed that K-Ride failed to hand over both govt and private land, clear encroachments on railway land, and shift utilities blocking the alignment. As a result, expensive machinery and manpower remained idle for months. In a statement, K-Ride countered that the agreements had been extended — on L&T's request — to Sept 2026 for Corridor-2 and Oct 2026 for Corridor-4. It maintained that the contracts don't grant L&T the right to terminate them, and called the walkout a clear violation of contractual terms. K-Ride also claimed it had made available 84% of the alignment in Corridor-2 and 17km in Corridor-4. Yet, the agency said, progress on the ground was hampered by L&T's failure to mobilise resources and delays in finalising designs. Senior K-Ride officials met infrastructure development minister MB Patil over the weekend to discuss the way forward. The agency said it is now working on alternatives to complete the remaining work and minimise further delays. The fallout raises fresh doubts over the delivery of a project that has already seen over two decades of delays. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Friendship Day wishes , messages and quotes !
Time of India
28-06-2025
- General
- Time of India
Bengaluru suburban rail project: 157 more trees on chopping block
Bengaluru: A total of 157 trees are set to be axed across the city to facilitate the construction of skywalks and foot overbridges at five major railway stations as part of Bengaluru Suburban Rail Project's corridor-2. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now A proposal seeking clearance to this effect has been submitted by K-Ride (Rail Infrastructure Development Company-Karnataka Limited), the nodal agency for the suburban rail project, to Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP). On Saturday, a public notice was issued regarding the proposed tree felling, inviting objections or suggestions from citizens within 10 days. Corridor-2, known as Mallige Line, is a 25km route from Byappanahalli to Chikkabanavara. The locations where trees are on the chopping block include Chikkabanavara, Mydrahalli, Shettyhalli, and Yeshwantpur railway stations. The civic agency is yet to publish information on the species and description of trees facing the axe. According to BBMP sources, the request for removal of trees has been made with a view of improving pedestrian infrastructure around these stations as they are likely to witness high footfall in the future. Moreover, safety upgrades have long been pending at these stations. "There is pressure from the Centre to get the much-delayed suburban rail project going as Bengaluru's mobility-related problems worsen. One of the challenges faced with Mallige Line pertains to handing over land for executing the project. Of the 91.5 acres of land required for corridor-2, around 28 acres is private land. The next big challenge could be the opposition from environmentalists to the chopping of trees," a source said. The proposal to chop 157 trees comes just a month after green activists from across the city intensified their protest against the felling of 368 trees in Cantonment Railway Colony.
New Indian Express
07-06-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
Indian Railways invites applications for K-Ride MD post to fast-track Bengaluru Suburban Rail project
BENGALURU: After a long gap to speed up completion of the Suburban Rail project, Indian Railways has put out an advertisement, calling for applications for the post of Managing Director of Rail Infrastructure Development Company (Karnataka) Limited (K-Ride). Experts and officials in K-Ride said this is a welcome and much-needed move to pace up the project. The Railways has listed details of the post which is for a duration of three years. According to K-Ride sources, the only time the department had a full time managing director was in 2021, when Amit Garg held the post. After that, many IAS officers have been posted, holding concurrent charge. 'With Railways inviting applications, it shows the push. But this is also late -- when the foundation for the project was laid in June 2022 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he had assured its completion in 40 months, and the term ends in October 2025. However, the MD's official posting will take at least another two months as the last date to submit applications for the post is July 5, 2025,' the source said. The government has listed out criteria details for the post: The applicant should not be above 55 years of age as on March 31, 2025. The applicant should have a minimum of 25 years experience of which at least five years should be in Senior Administrative Grade. The applicant should also have five years experience or more in the planning/ design/ execution of railway-related infrastructure projects. The criterion also stated: 'It is desirable to have the experience of projects report preparation, sanction, resource mobilization and coordination with other ministers and stake holders.' Experts also pointed out that the state and central governments have not taken serious note of the need to execute the project. The long delays have only made Bengaluru's traffic management worse.
