SWR awards FLO to Bengaluru firm for Mysuru to Kushalnagar rail line
To expedite the construction work on the Mysuru to Kushalnagar rail line in Kodagu district, the South Western Railways (SWR) has awarded a tender for the final location survey (FLO) to a Bengaluru-based firm for a new railway line involving ₹1.26 crore. It is an 88 km long railway line involving ₹1,650 crore investment. The FLO report will be submitted within six months. This proposed railway line will connect Mysuru to Kodagu which is the only district in the State without rail connectivity. 50 per cent of the cost will be borne by the state government. The promise to build the new railway line was made in 2009 by the then Union railway state minister K H Muniyappa. However, the railways dropped the project as it was found economically unviable. Kodagu district produces more than 30 per cent of coffee in India and 70 per cent of which is exported. The railway line reduces the transport cost of coffee and other spices produced in the district like cardamom, pepper, etc., to the Cochin port. The line also will reduce travelling costs and time of people travelling to Mysuru and Bengaluru and other states.
