After nearly three years of flying solo under interim chiefs, the Rail Infrastructure Development Company (Karnataka) Limited, or K-RIDE, is gearing up for a fresh face at the top! Lakshman Singh, a 1996-batch Indian Railway Service of Engineers officer, is just moments away from officially becoming the full-time Managing Director. The Union government's Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) gave the green light on November 25. An insider told The Hindu, “a formal notification confirming his appointment could be released shortly by the Railway Ministry.” Mr. Singh is all set to lead K-RIDE, the key joint venture agency behind Bengaluru’s much-delayed dream — the Bengaluru Suburban Railway Project (BSRP). Why Lakshman Singh? Well, crafting suburban rail lines next to existing, faster trains is no joke. A senior official shared, “Developing new tracks in such complex, high-risk zones is extremely challenging. A seasoned railway technocrat will be better positioned to resolve design issues, manage safety concerns, and accelerate execution.” K-RIDE is a team effort, owned mostly (51%) by Karnataka’s government, with the Railways holding the rest. Earlier, the leadership baton swung between senior IAS officers unfamiliar with railway nuts and bolts, slowing down decision-making and dragging project timelines. The MD spot has been empty since August 2022 when Amit Garg left. Interim chiefs like Gaurav Gupta and N. Manjula kept things ticking, and in August 2025, Govinda Reddy became the in-charge MD. The massive BSRP covers 149.35 km over four big corridors: Sampige (KSR Bengaluru–Devanahalli), Mallige (Benniganahalli–Chikkabanavara), Parijaata (Kengeri–Whitefield), and Kanaka (Heelalige–Rajanukunte). But here’s the catch—only the Mallige corridor has crossed 30% construction, leaving others far behind. Adding fuel to the fire, Larsen & Toubro (L&T), the big contractor for two civil contracts, abruptly quit. K-RIDE slammed L&T for breaking contract terms, sparking fresh uncertainty in this already complicated project. Mr. Singh isn’t new to big roles; since December 2023, he’s been Chief General Manager (Civil) at Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL). He has also been Additional Divisional Railway Manager, Bengaluru, and Chief Engineer at South Western Railway. With Lakshman Singh likely stepping into the permanent MD shoes soon, hopes are high that Bengaluru’s suburban rail saga will pick up speed and reach the tracks faster than before!