The four lines of Bengaluru Suburban Rail Project (BSRP) are named after regional flowers in Kannada: Sampige (Magnolia champaca), Mallige (Jasmine), Parijaata (Nyctanthes arbor-tristis) and Kanaka (Crossandra infundibuliformis).

[3][4] In 1993, Minister of Railways, India C. K. Jaffer Sharief influenced the State of Karnataka to establish a committee to look into mass rapid transit for the city.

[3] In 2007, RITES (Rail Indian Technical and Economic Services) was commissioned by the Government of Karnataka to conduct a CTTP (Comprehensive Traffic & Transportation Plan) for the city of Bengaluru.

[9] The budget proposed the setting up of the Bengaluru Suburban Rail Corporation Limited (BSRCL), a special purpose vehicle (SPV) to implement the project estimated to cost ₹8,759 crore (US$1.0 billion).

This seemed to kick-start the project with a ₹1,000 crore investment to connect Mandya with Kengeri, Whitefield with Baiyappanahalli and Tumakuru with Yeshwanthpura Junction.

[15] In November 2018, RITES prepared a revised plan for a 161 km (100 mi) network which was again amended in August 2019 to reduce costs.

[25] On 20 June 2022, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the start of construction of the project.

Meanwhile, a consortium of Egis, Louis Berger & AECOM JV won bid and were appointed General Consultants in February 2022.

Further he added that corridor 1 and 3 presented their own sets of challenges involving a lot of technical, infrastructural and administrative work which K-RIDE currently does not possess.

[31] Indian Railway's South Western Railway zone currently operates its regional services with MEMU and DEMU trains originating from Bengaluru to Hosur, Dharmapuri, Jolarpettai, Tumkur, Marikuppam near Kolar Gold Fields, Bangarapet, Hindupur, Mysore, Kolar, Kuppam and Hassan.

[32][a][b] After the inauguration of the international airport in 2008, a suburban rail link to it was first mooted in 2010 with the Yeshawanthapura Junction – Devanahalli – Chikkaballapura line.

[6] Later in 2012, the RITES proposal consisted Yelahanka Junction – Doddaballapura line that passed within 6 km of the international airport.

[8] The corridor 1 of the project named Sampige line, connected KSR Bengaluru railway station with Yeshavanthapura junction, Yelahanka, Airport Trumpet interhcnage and Devanahalli.

[1] On 1 February 2020, finance minister, Nirmala Sitharaman mentioned in her budget that the project would be implemented at cost of ₹18,600 crores.

The central government would provide 20% of the equity and facilitate external assistance up to 60 per cent of the project cost.

[40][41] The State Government commenced providing budgetary support for the suburban rail project & ₹500 crores were allocated in the 2020-21 budget.

[48] Comprehensive Mobility Plan for Bengaluru provides a roadmap for integrated public transport experience that includes Transit-oriented development for the suburban rail network and inter-modal connection with other public transit modes of the city such as Metro and Bus network.