Bengaluru: K-RIDE, the government entity executing the Bengaluru Suburban Railway Project (BSRP), has issued tenders for the Sampige Line, which will connect the city centre with the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA).
The Sampige Line, also known as Corridor 1, will be 41.4 km long, linking Majestic with Devanahalli, and includes a branch line to the airport.
K-RIDE has divided the Sampige Line into two packages: 1A (Majestic to Yelahanka, 17.63 km) and 1B (Yelahanka to Devanahalli, 23 km). The airport link will branch off at the trumpet junction on Ballari Road, covering about 5.5 km and having two stations. The first station, called the Airport Terminal, will be built near the parking lot, while the second station will be tentatively located near the junction of the Hennur-Bagalur-Begur road, as reported by DH in October 2023.
On Friday, K-RIDE issued tenders for the design and construction of the viaduct and seven stations (five elevated and two at-grade) for the Majestic-Yelahanka section, with an estimated cost of Rs 1,422.6 crore (excluding GST). The tender also includes the construction of a railway overbridge and other associated works. The project deadline is 30 months from the day the contract is awarded. A pre-bid meeting is scheduled for August 16, with the deadline for bid submissions on October 9.
According to K-RIDE, the tender is funded by a €300-million loan recently secured from the European Investment Bank (EIB). A high-ranking K-RIDE official told DH that tenders for package 1B (Yelahanka-Devanahalli) would be called in about a month.
In May, K-RIDE submitted a revised alignment for Corridor 1 to the South Western Railway (SWR) after the railways announced plans to build two additional tracks between KSR Bengaluru and Devanahalli. The official noted that the revised alignment would require slightly more private land than anticipated and expressed hope for swift approval from the railways.
The Sampige Line will have 17 stations: KSR Bengaluru (Majestic), Srirampura, Malleswaram, Yeshwantpur, Muthyalaya Nagar, Lottegollahalli, Kodigehalli, Judicial Layout, Yelahanka, Nitte Meenakshi, Bettahalasuru, Doddajala, Airport Trumpet, Airport City, Airport Terminal, Airport KIADB and Devanahalli.
The 149-km BSRP includes three other lines: Mallige (Benniganahalli-Chikkabanavar, 25.57 km), Parijata (Kengeri-Whitefield, 35.52 km) and Kanaka (Heelalige-Rajanukunte, 46.88 km).
L&T Limited won the civil work contracts for both the Mallige and Kanaka lines for Rs 960 crore and Rs 1,040 crore, respectively.
According to K-RIDE, physical progress on the Mallige Line stands at 30%, while pre-construction activities on the Kanaka Line, including geotechnical investigations, tree felling, utility shifting, and design and structure works, are underway. Private land acquisition is ongoing, with minor bridge and earth-retaining works also commenced.
Separately, K-RIDE has invited tenders for the construction of 12 stations on the Mallige Line and 18 stations on the Kanaka Line. The deadline for all four lines is December 2027.