Bengaluru Metro Phase-3: Rs 15,611 Crore Project Advances With Public Investment Board's Approval

The central government's Public Investment Board (PIB) has recently cleared the 44.65 km Bengaluru Metro's Phase-3 expansion project.

The project, which entails an investment of Rs 15,611 crore, is now awaiting final approval from the new Union government.

Phase-3 of the metro project will span 44.65 km with two elevated corridors and a total of 31 metro stations.

The first corridor, extending over 32.15 km along the western side of the Outer Ring Road, connecting J P Nagar's fourth phase to Kempapura, will include 22 stations and will also connect to the Airport Line.

The second corridor, covering a distance of 12.5 km from Hosahalli to Kadabgere on Magadi Road, will feature nine stations.

On 14 March, the state government approved the revised project cost of Rs 15,611 crore, with a completion target set for 2028. In a departure from previous arrangements, the state has committed to bearing 80 per cent of the project cost.

Initially, the project received approval on 18 November 2022, with a projected cost of Rs 16,328 crore, to be shared between Karnataka (20 per cent) and the Centre through external borrowings.

The proposal was first submitted to the Centre in February 2023, but the Union government requested a cost reduction. Subsequently, the state revised the cost to Rs 16,041 crore in June 2023, following recommendations from consultancy firm RITES, which removed the escalation cost calculated for rolling stock, reports The New Indian Express.

The Phase-3 lines are projected to handle a daily average of 9.12 lakh passengers by 2051.

Currently, the city metro stands as India’s second longest operational metro network, spanning 73.81 kilometres, following the Delhi Metro.

Two operational corridors serve the city. The East-West Corridor stretches 43.49 kilometres, running from Whitefield Station in the east to Challagatta Terminal in the west.

The North-South Corridor covers 30.32 kilometres, with Nagasandra Station marking its northernmost point and Silk Institute Station situated at its southern end.