Kushalnagar: The survey work for the 84.50-km Mysuru-Belagola-Kushalnagar Railway line, initiated in September 2022, is nearing completion and the land survey report is expected to be submitted to the Mysuru Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) next month.

Confirming this to Star of Mysore, DRM Shilpi Agarwal mentioned that they are anticipating the report of the land survey conducted from Belagola Railway Station in Srirangapatna taluk of Mandya district to Kushalnagar. “The survey report and the Detailed Project Report (DPR) are likely to be submitted next month, after which the works will commence,” she added.

In October 2020, the Chief Administrative Officer, Construction, South Western Railway (SWR), called for a final location survey for the new broad-gauge line between Mysuru (Belagola) and Kushalnagar. The railway line, sanctioned in 27.2.2019 by the Ministry of Railways for Rs. 1,854.62 crore, received a grant of Rs. 1,000 crore in the Union Budget 2022-2023.

The physical survey is also approaching its conclusion, with the survey team marking the land to be acquired up to Giriguru on the Mysuru-Kodagu border. The railway line will traverse from Belagola to Hunsur, Chilkunda, Periyapatna and reach Giriguru (in Mysuru District), where the final Railway Station will be established. However, the line will not extend to Kushalnagar in Kodagu and will end at the border of the two districts.

Giriguru, located on the banks of the River Cauvery, will have a bridge constructed across the River to provide connectivity to Kodagu district. Nevertheless, it will only serve as a connecting bridge for passengers, as the train will not proceed beyond Giriguru, according to sources.

Soil testing work has been entrusted to Tamil Nadu-based Global Projects by the Railways, tasked with investigating sub-surface geophysical conditions for planning and design using integrated geographical and geophysical data. The company is assessing soil types such as topsoil, clay soil, stone-mix soil found in earth’s floor to determine infrastructural feasibility.

In conjunction with the soil test, multidisciplinary investigations, including topographical, gradient, geotechnical and hydrological studies, land acquisition survey and rail track mapping survey, are being completed for the entire route. These surveys are integral to the final location survey, a crucial initial step before initiating any Railway project.

The exact land usage considerations encompass comprehensive land patterns, including height, depth, undulation, levelling patterns, rivers, vegetation and streams. Once the survey is completed, the ground properties are utilised in planning the tracks, sub-stations, bridges, slope stability of cuts and the overall stability of the tracks.