The long-pending Bengaluru Cantonment-Whitefield railway line quadrupling project is now expected to be completed by December 2025, Moneycontrol has learnt from a senior South Western Railway official.
The track-quadrupling work (third and fourth lines alongside the existing two lines) is being implemented under the Prime Minister Gati Shakti unit in the Bengaluru division of South Western Railway (SWR), and the additional lines are expected to help run more trains and reduce delays.
“The deadline for the Bengaluru Cantonment-Whitefield quadrupling project is December 2025. So far, 75% of the work has been completed,” a senior SWR official said.
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Byappanahalli Metro FOB to be Demolished
The SWR is also planning to demolish the skywalk over the railway tracks connecting Byappanahalli Metro station (towards Kasturi Nagar) in East Bengaluru as part of the quadrupling project.
“We are planning to demolish the FOB at Byappanahalli Metro station (towards Kasturi Nagar) over the railway tracks by November 2025. The demolition will take place only after the construction of the new foot overbridge (FOB),” the official said.
Asked about the cost of the existing bridge, SWR officials said that it was constructed by Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL).
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The Byappanahalli station, part of Metro’s Purple Line, has been operational since 2011. Many rail enthusiasts pointed out that if BMRCL and SWR had factored in future railway expansion while constructing the existing FOB, its demolition could have been avoided. They also cited a similar instance in 2020, when BMRCL demolished the Jayadeva flyover—built by the BDA at a cost of Rs 21 crore—to make way for the Yellow Line (RV Road-Bommasandra).
When contacted, BMRCL officials were unavailable for comment.
Railways to Bear the Cost of New FOB
SWR officials confirmed that the railways would bear the cost of the new foot over-bridge, as it falls within the alignment of the new track. “The cost of the new bridge will be around Rs 4 crore,” the official said, clarifying that only the section of the bridge above the tracks would be demolished, while other sections would remain untouched.
“There will be no inconvenience to passengers, as the old FOB will be dismantled only after it is connected to the new one,” he added.
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KSR Bengaluru City-Whitefield track quadrupling was first sanctioned in the 1997-98 railway budget but was delayed due to land acquisition issues between KSR Bengaluru City and Cantonment. In 2017, the alignment was revised to exclude KSR Bengaluru City.
SWR sanctioned the Rs 492.8 crore project in March 2018, aiming for completion by 2022, but it has missed multiple deadlines. Bengaluru Cantonment-Whitefield line is heavily congested, with capacity utilisation exceeding 100 percent. The quadrupling project is expected to ease bottlenecks, reduce train detentions, and support additional suburban services.
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The section covers six major stations—Bengaluru Cantonment, Bengaluru East, Byappanahalli, KR Puram, Hoodi, and Whitefield.
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