Bangalore Airport Link Rail Corporation
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Written By tsubba - 18 December, 2007
BIAL
Bangalore
Infrastructure
CTTP
Metro Rail
TNN's R Jayaprakash(ToI Dec 18 2007) is reporting that in the next few
weeks, the government will float a Bangalore Airport
Link Rail Corporation and set up a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV)
to handle the affairs. Quoting an official working on the project the
report says that the tentative name suggested is Bangalore Airport Rail Link
Corporation. This follows the meeting DMRC’s E Sreedharan had
with the governor. The governor’s office will seek Centre’s consent in
the
absence of an elected body. And get this, apparently, the train
promises to take you from MG road to airport in
just 15
minutes!!!
Some more from the report
The rail link has been proposed from MG Road near BRV Grounds to
Devanahalli International Airport. This 30-km non-stop train is
estimated to cost Rs 4,000 crore and will be implemented on BOT basis.
It will run parallel to the
existing Hyderabad track — this will avoid
land acquisition hurdles. Once the corporation is floated, a DPR
will
be prepared and global tenders floated. There will clarity once the
jurisdictions of the SPV are spelt out.
Though there were several government agencies which could have been
roped in to execute the project, the members at the meeting were
unanimous about having a separate corporation. The corporation will
have board members comprising civic stakeholders, railway authorities,
BMRC MD and urban development secretary. It will be headed by a senior
IAS officer.
Expressway
After dilly-dallying over the proposed expressway from outer ring road
to Devanahalli airport for over two years, the government now wants the
Union government to take up the project. The 21-km expressway was
mooted for dedicated road connectivity but the project is still on
paper.
How long it will take to implement the project itself is not known
right now. We ought to keep an eye for more details in the comming days.
Read the ToI (I should change my newspaper quickly). As usual there was a headline - BIAL in 15 minutes or some such nonsense. The price tag - Rs.4000 crores - US$ 1 BILLION!!!
Understandably commuters to the airport should not have to suffer to get there. But was this the only option considered? Was any option laid out that gave say a one hour ride from Kengeri in the west and Whitefield in the east at say a cost of Rs.1000 crores. This could have been done by augmenting the current network of surface lines and electrifying them - in fact the report said that land acquisition was not needed as it would run parallel to the existing line. Maybe possible, maybe not. But we never seem to know and TOI never seems to ask.
Given that in the next few years about 50000 people will fly in and out (25000 in either way), a once in 30 mins service to/from Kengeri and Whitefield with a 500 capacity rake could have done the trick. Even a 45 min journey for a 35 km journey should be fair. It would have also benefited more people and crowded MG Road less. The remaining money could have been used to extend the Metro to ITPL or ECity. Why do we need a train that averages 120 kmph? Our government is truly of the elite, by the elite and for the elite.
Can we use RTI to force them to share the financials for this as well as the other options that they had considered and ruled out?
Srivathsa
I didnot make the 4000 cr 1 bill$ connection. wow!! But i guess the cost for this 30 km line matches with cost for 33 kms of the metro. naveen explained that there are differences in the train itself. but do you know if this is other wise metro compatible? can metro trains use these tracks? I am hoping SG but how about the rest of it power and the rest?
we had discussed how multiple sources/sinks within the city were needed. like byappanahalli, yeshwantpur, majestic and prolly mg road. the thing is they insist on having remote checkin terminals and all. we will ultimately have to see what it means to MG road congestion. cant imagine it handling more than it already is doing. hope they have some plans for it
Speculators/Airbus/Jewellers.. etc are some of the people who are already planning shops around BIAL.
And then we have Yelahanka/Sahakarnagar/Hebbal already in place.
These people will need a metro type/affordable connectivity!
Why are Sreedharan's not looking at this??!!..and why the exclusivity for the train..?
Best would be to provide a few more stops on the way..we dont need a 15 min ride..we need a problem solving ride..30 min maybe..and on SG..
Can praja do something about this before they start putting up the piers!!?
i think it is still early days. all previous reports mention hebbal and yelahanka stops apart from mg road stop. i think the last meeting with sreedharan was mainly about how to fund this. lets wait till DH and Hindu catch up on this.
an old article about metro that has some info about this rail to airport.
As connectivity issues continue to plague the upcoming international airport in Devanahalli, the BMRC has lined up a dedicated route from the City centre, right up to the airport.
Originally planned to start at Byappanahalli, the route will now commence near the BRV Parade Grounds on MG Road and have stops at Hebbal and Yelahanka before reaching the airport. There’s also a plan to establish an underground link between the Metro station at Minsk Square and the Parade Grounds station. Madhu says the airport link will take more than two years to materialise.
30 km non-stop train - meaning people from say, Hebbal, will have to back-track all the way to BRV grounds to catch the train to reach the airport?
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