Land acquisition delays slow progress of Bengaluru Suburban Rail Corridor-4, says Centre

Bengaluru’s much-anticipated Suburban Rail Project (BSRP) has encountered a major hurdle, with land acquisition delays impacting the timely execution of Corridor-4, the 46-km stretch connecting Heelalige and Rajankunte. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed the Lok Sabha that only 7.8 acres out of the required 57 acres for this corridor have been acquired so far by Rail Infrastructure Development Company (Karnataka) Limited (K-RIDE).

The delay in securing land has emerged as a key reason for the slowdown in project completion, raising concerns over timelines for one of Bengaluru’s most crucial urban mobility infrastructure projects.

The broader Bengaluru Suburban Rail Project spans 148.17 km and has been approved at an estimated cost of Rs 15,767 crore. Funding for the project is structured with 20 per cent each from the Union and Karnataka governments, while the remaining 60 per cent is being financed through borrowings. As per the minister’s statement, the project has already incurred an expenditure of Rs 2,659 crore.

On other corridors, the minister said progress is relatively better. The 25-km Baiyyappanahalli–Chikkabanavara corridor has completed land acquisition, and separate station construction contracts have already been awarded. For the 41.4-km KSR Bengaluru City–Devanahalli corridor, alignment plans have been approved and the state government has initiated land acquisition. Meanwhile, the 35.5-km Kengeri–Whitefield corridor is also undergoing the acquisition process.

The suburban rail project is seen as a transformative infrastructure initiative for Bengaluru, aimed at easing traffic congestion, improving connectivity, and supporting the city’s expanding residential and commercial zones.

With land acquisition remaining the biggest bottleneck, the pace of execution in Corridor-4 will be closely watched by the real estate, infrastructure, and urban development sectors.