Bengaluru, 13 June

In a significant leap forward for the Bengaluru Suburban Transport Project, Bi-RIDE has officially invited bids for the construction of the Soladevanahalli train maintenance depot, officials said on Saturday.

This critical infrastructure component, estimated to be Rs 200.03 crores (excluding GST), will serve as the operational backbone for the City's expanding suburban railway services, they said. The deadline for bid submissions has been set for 12 August, 2026.

This follows the work order issued on 6 May for the procurement of 153 coaches from the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai. The new depot is being specifically facilitated to ensure the seamless upkeep, periodic maintenance, and reliable deployment of these upcoming rolling stocks.

Planned near the Chikkabanavara suburban station, the depot will oversee the operation and maintenance of trains exclusively for Corridor 2 and 4, it said.

"To seamlessly facilitate this massive undertaking, 26 acres of private land have already been successfully acquired by the administration," Bengaluru Integrated Rail Infrastructure Development Enterprise (Bi-RIDE) said in a statement.

Work on PRR package 1 to begin

In another significant development, the government issued a letter of acceptance to the Shankaranarayana Constructions (SNC), meaning that work will commence soon on the long-stalled Peripheral Ring Road Package 1 (PRR-1), LK Atheeq, financial advisor to the CM and Chairman of the Bengaluru Business Corridor, stated. Work is expected to commence for the 21kms connecting Madavara on Tumakuru Road to Ballari Road near BIEC.