International project review team on suburban rail meets MB Patil

BENGALURU: To facilitate external funding for the Bengaluru Suburban Rail Project (BSRP), teams from international funding agencies – KfW Development Bank, Germany and European Investment Bank (EIB) – met Karnataka Commerce and Industries and Infrastructure Minister MB Patil on Thursday. The team is in Bengaluru from June 18 to 20 to review the project and facilitate its funding.

“The team commended the project for its proactive approach of involving stakeholders and for its dedicated efforts to smoothen the challenges faced in ensuring successful and timely implementation of the project,” an official release stated.

Patil told the visiting delegates that BSRP, with its vast approved network of 148 km, will be the first of its kind in the country and it has the potential to set benchmark for all other suburban projects in the country. “Everything will be done to ensure that it meets the aspirations of crores of Kannadigas,” Patil added.

Earlier on Thursday, the project review mission team interacted with Dr Shalini Rajneesh, Additional Chief Secretary. “BSRP is set to become the cornerstone of urban mobility in Bengaluru, acting as a significant catalyst for the development of suburban areas surrounding the city,” Dr Shalini said.

The meeting also discussed the possibility of K-RIDE, the nodal agency for implementing BSRP, funding a green wall around all the lakes in Bengaluru, the release added.

Angeliki Kopsacheilli, an EIB official said, “BSRP is EIB’s most iconic urban mobility project funded in India,” She expressed her admiration for the stakeholder engagement and outreach initiatives spearheaded by K-RIDE for the BSRP. She also opined that BMLTA should be reactivated to help BSRP attain its fullest potential.

Dr Sebastian Ebert, Senior Technical Expert in Climate Finance and Mobility, KfW Development Bank, said, “BSRP will be an example of sustainable urban transportation focusing on gender sensitivity and Multi-Modal Integration.”

The team emphasised the need for sustainable mobility, and investing in public transport in Bengaluru, the release added. Officials from both funding agencies also conducted a site inspection of the BSRP construction works at Kendriya Vidyalaya, Mathikere, Jayaram Slum Colony, and Benniganahalli station.

Infrastructure Minister MB Patil said he had a preliminary discussion with top officials on Thursday about the construction of a second airport to meet the future needs of the rapidly growing city. The meet in Vidhana Soudha had Infrastructure Development Department Secretary Dr N Manjula, Karnataka Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation MD B C Satish taking part. Patil posted on X: “I have directed the authorities to submit a feasibility report for the new airport.” KIA is the third busiest airport in India and has managed 37.5 million passengers and over 4 lakh tonnes of cargo last year. “This immense pressure highlights the necessity for a second airport to accommodate future growth,” he added.