en.Wedoany.com Reported - The South Western Railway has initiated land acquisition proceedings to acquire 13.95 hectares of land in Thanisandra, Bengaluru, for the construction of a maintenance depot for Vande Bharat sleeper trains. The depot is planned along the Channasandra-Yelahanka stretch near Manyata Tech Park, aimed at supporting the launch of overnight Vande Bharat services in Karnataka. The Railway Board has issued a notification outlining the land requirement and related infrastructure plans.

The depot project will include the construction of maintenance workshops, stabling lines, utilities, access roads, service roads, and other supporting railway infrastructure. The land acquisition involves 14 private plots in Thanisandra to accommodate the depot layout and ancillary facilities. Local plans aim to connect the depot with the under-construction Heelalige-Rajanukunte suburban rail corridor to enhance regional railway connectivity.

This land acquisition follows an engineering, procurement, and construction contract awarded to Power Mech Projects Ltd earlier this year, valued at INR 2,279.5 million (INR 227.95 crore). The contractor is required to complete the depot construction within 30 months of commencement. Additionally, the South Western Railway is developing a Vande Bharat chair car maintenance facility at Sir M. Visvesvaraya Terminal in Bengaluru, with an estimated cost of INR 527.3 million (INR 52.73 crore). These investments are part of broader preparations for newer, faster overnight trains.

The depot is expected to serve as a hub for daily maintenance and stabling of sleeper train sets, supporting operations from Karnataka. The existing station at Thanisandra had its ticket counters removed during the Channasandra-Yelahanka doubling project, and the depot site selection reflects operational priorities. The plan aims to reduce train turnaround times and improve fleet availability.

Objections to the proposed land acquisition can be raised within 30 days of the notification's publication in the Official Gazette, after which the authorities will review the submissions. The authorities will address objections before further advancing the land acquisition process. Project implementation will proceed following statutory approvals.