K-RIDE May Re-Tender Two Corridors After L&T Standoff

12 Sep 2025 CW Team

Karnataka Rail Infrastructure Development Company (K-RIDE), the implementing agency for the Bengaluru suburban rail project, may re-tender two corridors previously awarded to L&T after a prolonged standoff over land handover.

Work on the 25-km Mallige Line (Baiyyappanahalli–Chikkabanavara) and 46-km Kanaka Line (Heelalige–Rajanakunte) has been suspended since March 2025. L&T halted operations after K-RIDE reportedly failed to provide the required land.

The K-RIDE board discussed scrapping the existing contracts and floating fresh tenders, with a final decision expected within 15 days after State Industries and Infrastructure Development Minister MB Patil returns from Japan. K-RIDE MD Govinda Reddy confirmed no final decision has been made yet.

The 148-km suburban rail project, approved by the Union government in October 2020, aims to complete four corridors by 2026. While tenders for the remaining Sampige Line (KSR Bengaluru–Devanahalli) and Parijaata Line (Kengeri–Whitefield) are yet to be floated, delays on the first two corridors may extend the timeline by another six months.

K-RIDE plans to split the corridors into multiple packages in the next tendering round to accelerate work. “Had the earlier tenders been divided into two-three packages per corridor, at least half the work would have been completed by now,” a source said. News source: Money Control

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