Karnataka’s large & medium industries minister MB Patil has said the planned Tumakuru line of the Bengaluru Metro should pass through the proposed Knowledge, Wellbeing, and Innovation (KWIN) City.
Bengaluru Metro is planning to extend the Green Line from Madavara (BIEC) to Tumakuru (52.4 km), with a feasibility report in the works.
"If the proposed Metro route passes through KWIN City, which is being developed by the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board near Dobbaspet, it will offer good connectivity to global firms, educational institutions, hospitals, and other industries planned in KWIN City," Patil said.
Also read: Karnataka's KWIN City to host 5 lakh residents, top foreign educational institutions
Metro connectivity along with satellite town Ring Road to the industrial areas around Nelamangala give a boost to industries, the minister said.
In a letter to the Karnataka chief minister, deputy chief minister and Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited MD, Patil said, "I request that appropriate orders be given to the concerned authorities to prepare a plan for the proposed Bengaluru-Tumakuru Metro line to pass through the STRR adjacent to KWIN City." Moneycontrol has reviewed a copy of the letter.
Several experts have argued that the Metro should focus on improving connectivity within the city, while the suburban rail should be extended to the outskirts.
Tumakuru is a neighbouring district of Bengaluru.
Also read: Karnataka to hire consultant for masterplan of KWIN City, Bengaluru’s twin
Karnataka Rail Infrastructure Development Company (K-RIDE), which is executing the Bengaluru suburban rail project, is working on the 25-km Mallige Line connecting Benniganahalli and Chikkabanavara. This line can be extended from Chikkabanavara to Tumakuru via Dobbaspet (55 km), offering a more cost-effective and faster alternative to the Metro.
K-RIDE falls under the Infrastructure Development Department, of which Patil is in-charge.
Also read: Karnataka's KWIN City: MoUs signed with foreign universities, aims to become a global healthcare hub
The 2,000-acre KWIN City will come up between Dobbaspet and Doddaballapur along the Satellite Town Ring Road (STRR). The Department of Industries and Commerce, which is implementing the project, said that KWIN City will be around 50 km from downtown Bengaluru and 45 minutes from Kempegowda International Airport.
KWIN City will also have a central monorail system, providing rapid transit with stops every 800 metres.
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