European Investment Bank formally grants Euro 300 million for Bengaluru Suburban Railway Project

BSRP is projected to beryllium implemented connected an equity-funded exemplary with adjacent publication from the Centre (20 per cent) and the authorities authorities (20 per cent), and the remaining magnitude (60 per cent) raised from multilateral agencies.

EIB has already granted a Euro 500 cardinal indebtedness to physique the 23 km-long Bengaluru Metro R6 enactment and acquisition a fleet of astir 96 Metro cars. EIB estimates that erstwhile the BSRP task is afloat operational, the Bengaluru transport strategy volition spot a 43 per cent driblet successful CO2 emissions.

The estimated regular ridership volition beryllium astir 4,00,000 trips per time successful 2029, the archetypal twelvemonth of afloat operation, and is expected to summation to astir 1.4 cardinal trips per time successful 2040, mostly aligned with the projected colonisation growth, EIB said successful a property statement.

Beer said: “The European Investment Bank is honoured to concern the Bengaluru Suburban Railway Network with a Euro 300 cardinal loan. This backing complements the Euro 500 cardinal we allocated for the operation of the Bengaluru Metro R6 line, addressing Bengaluru’s mobility challenges by processing a clean, modern and businesslike nationalist transport system. The 2 projects we are financing successful Bengaluru purpose to make India’s astir integrated obstruction network, providing seamless connectivity with each different modes of nationalist transport successful the city.”

She added, “The Bengaluru suburban railway web includes plan features to heighten access, safety, and information for women, and supports women’s information successful operation works. The task is truthful expected to person a important affirmative interaction for women successful Bengaluru, particularly successful presumption of affordable, safe, and unafraid entree to economical and societal functions.”

The Euro 300 cardinal indebtedness statement with EIB was inked connected June 14, 2024. Additionally, a indebtedness statement of Euro 500 cardinal for BSRP was besides signed with Germany-based KfW connected December 15, 2023.

About BSRP and task progress

BSRP is divided into 4 corridors – Corridor 1 (41.4 km) connecting KSR Bengaluru City to Devanahalli; Corridor 2 (25.01 km) connecting Baiyyappanahalli Terminal to Chikkabanavara; Corridor 3 (35.52 km) connecting Kengeri to Whitefield (via KSR and Cantonment); and Corridor 4 (46.24 km) connecting Heelalige to Rajankunte.

In June 2022, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised that the authorities would implicit BSRP successful 40 months, “which the erstwhile governments failed to bash successful the past 40 years”. Forty-eight months person passed since the large promise, but the operation of BSRP is acold from over.

So far, operation works person commenced lone connected Corridor 2. The civilian works tender was awarded to L&T Limited successful August 2022. The latest alignment plans for Corridor 1 person been submitted for support to the Indian Railways successful August 2024. Meanwhile, a tender for civilian works was floated for Corridor 1 successful July 2024. The alignment drafting of Corridor 3 was submitted to the Bengaluru Division of the South Western Railway and K-RIDE is awaiting support for the same. Finally, for Corridor 4, the civilian works tender was awarded to L&T connected December 2023 and backstage onshore acquisition and different preliminary works are successful progress.