Mysuru–Kushalnagar railway project shelved over low viability

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File photograph  of the laying of railway tracks connecting Mysuru with Kushalnagar.

File photograph of the laying of railway tracks connecting Mysuru with Kushalnagar. | Photo Credit: The Hindu

The projected Mysuru–Kushalnagar railway line, which had drawn absorption from residents of Kodagu territory arsenic good arsenic environmentalists, has present been dropped by the Railways, adjacent though the Final Location Survey (FLS) for the task had already been completed.

Officials from South Western Railway (SWR) confirmed to The Hindu that the task volition not beryllium taken guardant arsenic it lacks capable postulation imaginable and is improbable to beryllium financially sustainable. “Based connected elaborate assessments, the expected rider and freight postulation connected this way is insufficient. The complaint of instrumentality is negative, and the task does not warrant the ample concern required,” a elder SWR authoritative said.

The shelving of the task follows signals from the State authorities arsenic well. In June 2025, V. Somanna, Minister of State for Railways, had stated that the Karnataka authorities was not keen connected pursuing the Mysuru–Kushalnagar railway line. He had besides noted earlier that the State had formally conveyed to the Ministry of Railways its deficiency of involvement successful taking guardant some the Mysuru–Kushalnagar and the Hejjala–Chamarajanagar railway projects.

The Mysuru–Kushalnagar enactment required the acquisition of astir 1,379 acres of land. While the task was initially estimated to outgo astir ₹1,800 crore, officials said that the projected expenditure had risen importantly since approval. According to officials, fiscal evaluations showed that the instrumentality connected concern for some projected railway lines remained successful the negative.

The task was primitively conceived to supply Kodagu territory obstruction connectivity. However, the connection faced beardown absorption locally, with galore residents expressing concerns implicit onshore acquisition and biology impact.

Another SWR authoritative pointed retired that though the FLS had been completed and mentation of the Detailed Project Report (DPR) was underway, the project’s advancement depended wholly connected the State authorities acquiring onshore and handing it implicit to the Railways escaped of cost, an improbable imaginable fixed the circumstances.

The 87-km Mysuru–Kushalnagar railway enactment was sanctioned successful 2018-19, and the FLS tender was awarded successful June 2022.

Published - January 19, 2026 08:05 p.m. IST

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