In a significant step towards enhancing rail capacity and operational efficiency on one of Karnataka’s busiest railway corridors, Indian Railways has sanctioned the upgradation of the electric traction system on the Bengaluru-Tumkur section of South Western Railway.

The project involves the conversion of the existing 1x25 kV electric traction system to a 2x25 kV electric traction system over a stretch of 120 Track Kilometres (TKM). The sanctioned cost of the project is ₹162.57 crore.

The Bengaluru-Tumakuru section forms part of the strategically important Highly Utilized Network (HUN) Route-10, which connects major economic and industrial centres along the Pune-Hubballi-Chikjajur-Birur-Tumkur-Bengaluru-Salem-Kanniyakumari corridor.

The adoption of the 2x25 kV traction system will strengthen power supply arrangements for train operations, enabling the section to handle higher traffic volumes more efficiently. The upgraded system is expected to support the operation of heavier freight trains and longer passenger services while improving overall reliability of electric traction infrastructure.

The project will contribute to decongesting a key rail route serving the Bengaluru metropolitan region and adjoining districts, while also supporting smoother movement of passenger and freight traffic across Karnataka and southern India. The enhancement aligns with Indian Railways’ ongoing efforts to modernise its electrical infrastructure, increase network capacity and improve operational performance on high-density corridors.

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Dharmendra Tewari/ Dr. Nayan Solanki/ Ritu Raj/ Manik Sharma