Five firms shortlisted for Rs 6900 cr High Speed Rail link to BIAL
From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network

Bangalore, April 26: Five companies have been shortlisted by the Karnataka Government for the proposed High Speed Rail Link (HSRL) from Bangalore city to the Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL) at Devanahalli proposed to be  built at a cost of Rs. 6,900 crore, including land cost.

The five companies shortlisted for laying the 34-kms rail link are: Pioneer Infratech Pvt Ltd & Siemens Project Ventures; Lanco Infratech Pvt Ltd, and OHL Concesiones S L; L&T Transco Ltd; Reliance Infrastructure & CSR Nanjing Rolling Stock Co Ltd; and ITD-ITO Cem-Soma Enterprises Joint Venture.

Essential things such as request for proposals, detailed project report, concession agreement and manual specifications have been handed over to the short-listed firms.

The tender process for the ambitious project, which has been pending for long in view of the huge costs involved for providing an easy, convenient, cost-effective and state-of-the-art 34-kms HSRL from the heart of the city from Mahatma Gandhi Road to BIAL at Devanahalli within 25 minutes and from Hebbal Flyover to BIAL in 18 minutes,  is over, said Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, after a high-level meeting attended by Infrastructure, Tourism and Civil Aviation Minister G Janardhana Reddy, Chief Secretary S V Ranganath, Infrastructure Department Secretary V Madhu and other senior officials.

Bids would be opened on August 12 and the Letter of Award would be issued on September 17, Yeddyurappa said pointing out that signing of concession agreement would take place within 30 days from the issue of Letter of Award.

"Work was likely to commence in February 2011 and the projected date of completion is 33 months,” the Chief Minister said adding Rs 175 crore would be spent per km of HSRL.

Explaining the salient features and highlights of the project, Madhu said the state government would be contributing Rs 532 crore by way of land, while Rs 1,040 crore is expected from the Centre and mentioned that the government equity in the project would be 26 %.

Pointing out that the state’s contribution was mainly towards land acquisition, he said a total of 65.95 hectares -- comprising BBMP land (0.96 hectares), other Government land (12.20 hectares), National Highway Authority of India (8.61 hectares), private lands (44.19 hectares) – would be acquired for the project.

With environmental issues like the felling of trees and the anticipated benefits being a major concern in executing all major projects, Madhu explained that 231 trees were likely to cut under the proposed alignment and another 375 trees would be pruned. However, there will not be serious atmospheric pollution as the project will be on electric traction. In addition, it would save 15 million litres of fuel per annum and therefore would be extremely environment friendly.

As the HSRL would be integrated with the ongoing metro rail and the proposed mono rail projects, it would also lead to substantial reduction in traffic congestion.

Maximum speed of the rail is 160 kms per hour, operating speed at 145 kmph and commercial speed at 85 kmph. Ten trains would be introduced and the frequency would be initially 10 minutes and later reduced to 8 minutes to 6 minutes and finally to 3 minutes,  Madhu said adding that there will be stations at M G Road, Hebbal, Yelahanka and BIAL.
The fare would be Rs 200 from the M G Road to BIAL, Rs 150 from Hebbal to BIAL and Rs 100 from Yelahanka to BIAL. To start with, each train will have six coaches and every coach would have space for accompanying baggage.

Monorail to complement Metro Rail; More areas under Metro II at Rs 14,000 cr

Along with the decision to go ahead with the High Speed Rail Link (HSRL) project to Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL) project at Devanahalli, the Yeddyurappa-led BJP regime also decided to launch a Monorail project as a feeder service to the Metro Rail project and take up the second phase of the Metro Rail project at an estimated cost of Rs 14,000 crore.

The first phase of the mono rail work would be taken up in four corridors covering a total of 34 kms and a final decision on the execution of the project would be taken after a detailed discussion in the next Cabinet meeting, he said, indicating that the per-km cost of the monorail project has been pegged at Rs 140 crore.

Disclosing that the Government has proposed to take up 60 kms of monorail system for Bangalore, Yeddyurappa said the proposed monorail corridors are: Hebbal to J P Nagar (Bannerghatta Road) along the western portion of outer ring road (31 kms), Peripheral Ring Road (PRR) to Toll Gate along Magadi Road (nine kms), Kathriguppe Road/Ring Road Junction to National College (five kms) and Hosur Road-Bannerghatta Road Junction to PRR along Bannerghatta Road.

Madhu explained that several companies have evinced interest in the monorail project and the Government was expected to make a strong pitch to attract investment for it in the June 3-4 Global Investors' Meet to be held here. The actual total cost of the project and the companies to be entrusted with the take of taking up the work and other essential details would be finalized later.

Unlike the tentative nature of the decision pertaining to the monorail project, the Government was more forthcoming as far the decision on implementing the second phase of the Metro Rail project. It will cover a length of on 51 kms and its corridors are: Hesarghatta to Bangalore
International Exhibition Centre (Tumkur Road) (4.20 kms), Puttenahalli to Anjanapura (link to NICE Road) (6.70 kms), Mysore Road Metro Junction to Kengeri (7.70 kms), and Byappanahalli metro junction to ITPL (11.60 kms) and IIM-B to Nagavara (21 kms).

Thus, Metro Rail project will be extended to Kengeri, Electronic City and Whitefield, and also link Yeshwantpur and Byappanahalli metro stations with the airport and also cover J P Nagar, Banashankari, Kathriguppe, Magadi Road, Tumkur Road, Hebbal and HSR Layout.

"The three projects – Metro Rail, HSRL and Mono Rail -–  together will ease the traffic congestion and go a long way in reducing the vehicular density in the city besides leading to enormous cost saving as well cutting down on environmental pollution,”  the Chief Minister claimed.

Yeddyurappa said he would be visiting New Delhi by the end of this month to meet Union Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee seeking release of funds for the pending railway projects in Karnataka and also meet other Central leaders.