Train to airport put on fast track

The proposed high speed train to the Bengaluru International Airport will be implemented under the Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) model with private participation, unlike the Bangalore Metro which is being jointly implemented by the State government and the Centre through a special purpose vehicle, the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation (BMRC).
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), which is the consultant for the project, has decided on the BOT model to avoid any delay in implementation.
A decision in this regard was taken recently following Governor Rameshwar Thakur’s direction to DMRC to “compress the implementation time” as much as possible, official sources said.
As a result, the SPV (which is yet to be set up by the State government) for the high speed train need not look for raising of funds for the project and that it will only concentrate on project monitoring and management.
The BOT operator (also called project promoter) will be selected through global tender. The plan is to start the actual work in November 2008 and complete it in 2011.
However, the BMRC has been entrusted with the responsibility of not only implementing and managing the Metro project, but also raise on its own funds to the tune of nearly Rs 1,000 crore for the over Rs 6,000-crore project.
18/03/08 P M Raghunandan/Deccan Herald

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Categories: Airports Mar 2008, New Mar 2008