Exclusive: Vande Metro, circular rail to ease Bengaluru's traffic congestion: Ashwini Vaishnaw

Highlighting the need for India’s tech capital Bengaluru to transition from road-based to rail-based transportation, Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw has outlined a plan to reduce the city's traffic congestion.

Speaking exclusively to Moneycontrol aboard a special inspection car on the Hosur-Byappanahalli route, Vaishnaw said, "Bengaluru requires a significant shift from road-based to rail-based transportation. In every major city globally — Tokyo, Seoul, Osaka, New Delhi — transportation is efficiently managed by shifting a substantial part of commuting from road to rail. That's the first principle on which we are working."

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Vaishnaw said the current focus is on enhancing the capacity of the entire railway network spanning the city.

"We've evaluated each section and conducted detailed sessions on increasing their capacity — be it the section from the airport to the city centre, Whitefield, Hosur, Mysuru, or Tumakuru," the minister said.

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Vande Metro

The railway minister said the goal is to enhance the capacity of each section and operate state-of-the-art Vande Metro trains on them. These trains are short-distance versions of the Vande Bharat trains.

“The design of Vande Metro trains is currently underway, with prototypes in production. Soon, these prototypes will be unveiled," he said.

Expected to be rolled out by January 2024, the Vande Metro, a 12-coach AC train for short-distance travel, will have features such as CCTV cameras, passenger information system with LCD displays, route indicator displays, mobile charging sockets, toilet facilities, luggage space and automatic doors.

Railway officials anticipate that the development of Vande Metro trains for suburban travel will provide faster, safer and more comfortable transportation for passengers, with peak speeds of 130-160 kmph.

287-km circular rail

Vaishnaw said the ministry has proposed a 287-km rail network encircling Bengaluru city, connecting key areas such as Nidvanda-Doddaballapur (40.9 km), Doddaballapur-Devanahalli (28.5 km), Devanahalli-Malur (46.5 km), Malur-Heelalige (52 km), Hejjala-Solur (43.5 km), Solur-Nidavanda (34.2 km) and Hejjala-Heelalagi (42 km).

While a circular railway plan has been in the pipeline for a few decades, railway officials now express a serious intent to implement it, aligning with the city's requirements for the next 40-50 years.

Circular rail network for Bengaluru

"We have allocated Rs 7 crore for preparing a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the ring railway. If we can establish a complete circular ring railway about 20-25 km outside the main city, it becomes a hub-and-spoke model with seven arteries facilitating rapid, high-volume transit,” Vaishnaw said. “This concept will integrate most neighbouring towns and cities with Bengaluru. We aim to complete the survey and DPR preparation work in the next 7-10 months."

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Suburban rail project

Vaishnaw also highlighted the significance of the Bengaluru suburban project, which is being implemented by the Rail Infrastructure Development Company (Karnataka) Ltd. (K-RIDE), a joint venture established by the Karnataka government (51 percent share) and the Ministry of Railways (49 percent).

The ongoing Bengaluru Suburban Rail Project consists of four corridors covering 148.17 km. This includes 41.4-km Sampige Line (KSR Bengaluru City–Bengaluru airport-Devanahalli), 25-km Mallige Line (Benniganahalli– Chikkabanavara), 35.5-km Parijaata Line (Kengeri-Whitefield) and 46.25-km stretch between Heelalige and Rajanukunte

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"We reviewed the project and the central government will provide any support needed. This project is crucial beyond political considerations; our mission is to rise above politics and deliver to the people," said Vaishnaw.

Earlier, speaking to reporters, Vaishnaw emphasised the technical complexity of the suburban rail project.

"It requires deep technical knowledge. The preparation of a detailed project report for passenger-carrying railways is a highly technical process, and errors are not permissible. Whenever DPRs face rejection or are not approved, it's solely due to technical reasons," he said.

In response to a query regarding the absence of a full-time managing director in K-RIDE, Vaishnaw highlighted a significant issue related to the technical capabilities within K-RIDE. He said he would take up this matter with the state government.

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