As a greenfield project with an estimated cost of Rs 30,000 crore, Indian Railways is actively contemplating building a semi-high speed track suitable with running trains at 200 kmph on the surface level near to the current track between Bangalore and Secunderabad.
As part of the Gati Shakti effort, the Railways plans to cut the distance between Umdanagar, in Secunderabad, and Yelahanka, in Bangalore, from the current 622 km to 503 km.
The suggested route is an effort to save money by eliminating several diversions and is estimated to cost roughly Rs 60 crore per kilometre, including the low side walls on both sides.
Fencing or sidewalls at both sides of the track is a must for semi-high speed trains. It has been proposed to build 1.5 metres height sidewalls along the new track to provide an exclusive right of way to the semi-high speed rail operations.