TNN
Bangalore, Jun 22: The High Speed Rail Link (HSRL) to Bengaluru International Airport, which was on the drawing board for nearly two years, is set to see
some action. The Centre has given the go-ahead to the project, along with committing some funds, and has asked the implementing authorities to hasten it.
The project went for a review in May, and the Centre gave its nod and agreed to take care of the Viability Gap Funding. The VGF pattern has been worked out on three parameters, in which the land acquisition cost is not taken into account.
The implementing agency — Karnataka State Industrial Investment Development Corporation, which already has 27 bidders for the Request For Qualification — will open the bids in August last week. The next step is technical bids.
After several bureaucratic hitches, the Rs 5,767-crore project has gathered steam. The 34-km high-speed rail link will start from MG Road, run along the right side of National Highway up to BIA. The elevated train will go underground at BIA, below the airport lounge, which is 100 metres from check-in counters. It will take the underground route soon after the trumpet changeover for about 12 metres.
The project requires 162-acre land on the highway. With the market bust, the compensation amount has been estimated at Rs 532 crore. The HSRL will start from BRV Grounds and have two stops — at Hebbal and Yelahanka. There is a proposal for integration at Minsk Square of Phase I and Yelahanka of Phase II.
Funding devised on 3 parameters, P 3 .