In response to Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw’s directive during his visit to Bengaluru, the Rail Infrastructure Development Company Karnataka (K-RIDE) has reached out to the Chennai-based Integral Coach Factory (ICF) to procure coaches for the Bengaluru Suburban Rail Project (BSRP). This move comes after K-RIDE faced a poor response to multiple tenders it called for the Rs 15,767-crore project.
ICF, a subsidiary of Indian Railways and the world’s largest manufacturer of rail coaches, will now be tasked with supplying the air-conditioned coaches for the suburban rail network. The coaches are expected to be modeled on the Bengaluru Metro coaches, in line with the city’s modern transit requirements.
The Bengaluru Suburban Rail Project is a crucial infrastructure initiative aimed at easing the city’s traffic woes and improving commuter connectivity. By involving ICF in the procurement process, K-RIDE aims to expedite the supply of coaches and keep the project on track. This collaboration with ICF is expected to bring a boost to the timely implementation of the ambitious project, benefiting millions of daily commuters in Bengaluru.
