Railways clears Rs 163-crore traction upgrade on Bengaluru-Tumakuru route

Bengaluru: Indian Railways has sanctioned a Rs 163 crore project to upgrade the electric traction system on the Bengaluru–Tumakuru section of South Western Railway, a move aimed at enhancing capacity and operational efficiency on one of Karnataka’s busiest rail corridors.

Minister of State (MoS) for Railways and Jal Shakti V Somanna said the project involves conversion of the existing 1x25 kV electric traction system to a 2x25 kV system over a 120-track-km stretch.

The Bengaluru–Tumakuru section is part of the highly utilised Route-10 network, linking major economic and industrial centres along the Pune–Hubballi–Chikjajur–Birur–Tumakuru–Bengaluru–Salem–Kanniyakumari corridor.


According to Somanna, the upgraded traction system will strengthen power supply for train operations, enabling the section to handle higher traffic volumes more efficiently. It is also expected to facilitate the movement of heavier freight trains and longer passenger services while improving the reliability of the railway’s electric traction infrastructure.

The minister said the project would help decongest a key rail route serving the Bengaluru metropolitan region and neighbouring districts, while supporting smoother movement of passenger and freight traffic across Karnataka and southern India.

The upgrade is part of Indian Railways’ broader efforts to modernise electrical infrastructure, expand network capacity and improve operational performance on high-density routes, he added.