RailEnquiry

MYSORE: The track-doubling work between Bangalore and Mysore is expected to be completed in the next two years. The project, launched in 2008, was to build the double track by 2011-end, but it got delayed owing to land acquisition. With the state government planning a Mysore-Bangalore bullet train, the focus in back on the double track project. A senior railway official told TOI that they plan to open the double-track line by June 2014. "The land acquisition issues are being addressed now. We faced problem while acquiring 70 acres of land in Mandya district, and the same is being addressed now," the official explained, claiming anonymity. The works to build the double track from Ramanagaram to Mysore began in 2007-08 with an estimated cost of Rs 313 crore. However, the cost has now escalated to Rs 600. Sources attribute the rise in the cost to hike in land value and inflation. Some 25,000 people travel on Mysore-Bangalore route daily, and, of this, 75% are Bangalore-bound passengers. "There has been a rise of 10% passenger traffic on this line in the last five years," an official said. According to the sources, double line work from Mysore to Naganahalli, and from Bangalore to Channapatna is through. Out of 139 km, nearly 75 km has been completed, while the rest of the work will be over by June 2014. The state government is bearing 66% of the project cost. Railways sources say that the railways had enough land for track doubling, but there were stretches or points where land acquisition was necessitated for taking up yard work for shunting. The work on the Cauvery Bridge North and South at Srirangapattana is going on rapidly. The sub-structure work of the two bridges across the Cauvery is ready. One of the eight armories of Mysore ruler Tipu Sultan, which lies adjacent to the railway track near Srirangapattana railway station, will soon be shifted to facilitate the track-doubling work. The work of shifting the armory will commence by June-end, and completed in six months. Though track electrification was sanctioned along with track doubling in the 2007-08 railway budget, the foundation is being laid now. The cost of electrification is put at Rs 69.5 crore for the 139-km stretch (at the rate of Rs 50 lakh per km), and it is expected by completed by 2014-end.