Bengaluru suburban railway project will be completed in 3

Buoyed by the inclusion of the Bengaluru suburban railway project in the Union Budget, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Sunday said the project with an estimated cost of Rs 18,600 crore will be completed in three years.

"The approximate cost of the project is Rs 18,600 crore. It will be shared in the ratio of 20 per cent by the State, 20 per cent by the Centre and rest will be taken as institutional loan. The project will be dedicated to the nation in the next three years," he told reporters.

Expressing his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Railway Minister Piyush Goyal for incorporating the project in the Union Budget, Yediyurappa said this project has been the long-standing dream of the citizens of Bengaluru.

He further said under this project, suburban railway stations will come up at 57 prominent places in Bengaluru.

The trains with all air-conditioned coaches will operate from 5 am till midnight and will benefit lakhs of commuters travelling within Bengaluru and surrounding areas, the chief minister added.

The Minister of State for Railways Suresh Angadi, who was present, said ticket prices have not been decided yet.

Asked whether it will be affordable to the poor people who prefer travelling in general class, Angadi said the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister come from a humble background and hence, the poor will always be their priority.