Land acquisition continues to be one of the biggest hurdles delaying railway infrastructure projects across Karnataka, with only 61% of the required land acquired so far.

The latest data shows that railway projects across the State require 10,123 hectares. Of this, 6,134 hectares (61%) have been acquired, while 3,989 (39%) remain to be acquired, highlighting a major bottleneck.

According to a reply tabled in the Rajya Sabha by the Ministry of Railways on July 24, 2026, to an unstarred question raised by Ajay Maken, the Ministry said that the Union government is fully geared up to execute railway projects, but their timely completion depends significantly on support from the Karnataka government, particularly in facilitating land acquisition. It added that delays are also caused by forest clearances, shifting of utilities, statutory approvals, geological conditions and law-and-order issues.

Most severe delays

Among the projects facing the most severe land acquisition delays is the Belagavi–Dharwad new railway line (73 km), where none of the required 581 hectares have been acquired. Similarly, the Shivamogga–Harihar new line (79 km) requires 488 hectares, but no land has yet been acquired.

The Whitefield–Kolar new line (53 km) is also awaiting acquisition of all 337 hectares needed for the project, while the Hassan–Belur new line (32 km) has yet to secure any of its required 206 hectares.

The Shivamogga–Ranebennur new line (96 km) has made comparatively better progress, with 283 hectares acquired out of the required 559 hectares, leaving 276 hectares still pending.

Suburban Rail Project hit

The land acquisition challenge has also affected the progress of the Bengaluru Suburban Rail Project (BSRP), a 148.17-km network being implemented by Rail Infrastructure Development Company (Karnataka) Limited (K-RIDE). The project, sanctioned at a cost of ₹15,767 crore, is jointly funded by the Centre and the Karnataka government, with 20% equity contribution each and the remaining 60% through debt. An expenditure of ₹3,383 crore has been incurred so far.

According to the Ministry, land acquisition has been completed only for the Mallige Corridor (Baiyyappanahalli–Chikkabanavara), where construction is progressing. Land acquisition is still under way for the Sampige, Parijaata and Kanaka corridors. In the Kanaka Corridor, 43 acres out of the required 57 have been acquired.

No full-time MD

The Ministry also noted that the absence of a full-time Managing Director at K-RIDE had impacted project progress, adding that a full-time MD has now been appointed and regular coordination meetings between K-RIDE, the Karnataka government and Railways are being held to expedite implementation.

As of April 1, 2026, Karnataka has 25 sanctioned railway projects including 15 new lines and 10 doubling projects covering 2,935 km at a total cost of ₹49,272 crore. Of this, 746 km has been commissioned and ₹13,398 crore has been spent up to March 2026.

Published - July 30, 2026 06:01 am IST