Siddaramaiah instructed concerned departments to prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) within the next three months.
Published Apr 12, 2025 | 5:44 PM ⚊ Updated Apr 12, 2025 | 5:44 PM
The decision was formalized during a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. (Supplied)
Synopsis: The Karnataka government signed an MoU with European firms HESS AG, HESS INDIA, and SSB AG to launch a pilot Electric Rapid Transit (e-RT) system between Hubballi and Dharwad. The fully electric, metro-style system will carry 250 passengers per trip. A DPR will be prepared in three months, with plans to expand to other tier-2 cities if successful.
In a significant step toward advancing sustainable urban transport, the Government of Karnataka signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with European firms HESS AG, HESS INDIA, and SSB AG to launch a pilot Electric Rapid Transit (e-RT) project between the twin cities of Hubballi and Dharwad.
The Chief Minister’s Office said in a statement on Saturday, 12 April, that the decision was formalized during a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, where key officials and company representatives discussed the roadmap for the eco-friendly transit initiative.
The chief minister instructed concerned departments to prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) within the next three months.
“The fully electric system will run on elevated roads and at ground level in some areas, with a capacity of 250 passengers per trip,” the statement read. Representatives from the said companies stated that this metro-style transit system has been successfully implemented in several European countries.
Labour Minister Santosh Lad, who recently visited Switzerland to study the operational pilot first hand, briefed the chief minister on the feasibility, technological infrastructure, and potential socio-economic benefits of implementing such a system in Karnataka. Siddaramaiah mentioned that if the project succeeds, it could be extended to other tier-2 cities in Karnataka.
Present at the meeting were Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy, Social Welfare Minister HC Mahadevappa, Advocate General Shashikiran Shetty, Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh, and key delegates from HESS AG and SSB AG, including Susan von Sury, Yves Siegrist, Burak Sencer, and Francois Paetzold.
(Edited by Sumavarsha)
