Providing connectivity to the population in city’s outskirts
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) developed and conceptualised the Bengaluru Metro. After years of delay, the first route was opened to the public in October 2011. The Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) is carrying out the project, which is presently in expansionary mode. The current ridership of Namma Metro is around 5.5 lakhs to 6 lakhs and is likely to reach around 10 lakhs with the commissioning of the Whitefield Metro.
Phase 1
Namma Metro Phase 1 in Bangalore included 42-kilometers two long lines, 8.82 kilometres of which is underground and the remaining one is elevated. This segment has 40 stations. The foundation stone for Phase 1 was laid in June 2006, and construction started in April 2007 between Baiyyappanahalli and Mahatma Gandhi Road. The phase was subsequently expanded to include the northern extension (from Yeshwanthpur to Nagasandra) and the southern extension. (from Rashtreeya Vidyalaya Road to Yelachenahalli).
Phase 2
The second phase of Namma Metro was approved by the union cabinet in January 2014, the initial cost of which was 26,405 crore which is expected to rise to Rs 32,000 crore over time. Phase 2 stretches for 72 kilometers, 13 kilometres of which is underground. There are 62 stations in this section, 12 of which are underground. Bengaluru Metro Phase 2 involves both the extension of the two Phase 1 lines in both directions and the construction of two new lines.
According to the plan, the south end of the Green Line will be expanded from Yelachenahalli to Anjanapura along Kanakapura Road and from Nagasandra to Madavara (previously called BIEC) along Tumkur Road. The Purple line’s east end has been expanded from Baiyappanahalli to Whitefield and from Mysore Road to Challaghatta via Kengeri. The BMRCL spent over Rs 4,500 crores to build the K.R. Puram to Whitefield Metro line. It will have 12 locations.
In the second phase, a new 18-kilometer-long fully elevated line from RV Road to Bommasandra via Electronic City is also proposed. Another 21-kilometer railway is being built from Kalena Agrahara (previously Gottigere) to Nagawara. The route will have an elevated corridor, spanning a distance of 7.5 kms with six stations and an underground stretch of 13.76 kms from the south ramp near Jayanagar Fire station to the north ramp at Nagawara consisting of 12 underground stations. The second phase of the Bengaluru Metro is scheduled to be completed by 2024.
Phase 2A (Blue Line)
As Phase-2A of the plan, a new line between Silk Board and KR Puram has been included in Phase 2. Silk Board, HSR Layout, Agara, Ibbalur, Bellandur, Kadubeesanahalli, Kodibisanahalli, Marathahalli, ISRO, Doddanekundi, DRDO Sports Complex, Sarasvathi Nagara (previously Mahadevapura), and KR Puram are the planned thirteen stations along the Outer Ring Road.
The ORR Metro route, also known as the Blue Line, will connect with the extended Purple Line at KR Puram and the proposed RV Road-Bommasandra route (Yellow Line) at Silk Board.
Phase 2B (Airport Line)
Namma Metro Phase 2B, which will link Kempegowda International Airport and MG Road, is currently under construction and will cost Rs 10,584 crores. The length of the route would be 39 kms. The route would commence in Krishnarajapura (KR Puram) and would run along the northern part of the ORR (Outer Ring Road), passing through Nagawara, Hebbal, and Jakkur before moving towards the airport.
Purple Line
The Purple Line links Baiyyappanahalli in the east to Mysore Road terminal station in the south-west. The route is 18.1 kilometres long and has 17 stations. It is mostly elevated, with a 4.8-kilometer underground section in the city’s center, and it runs through some of Bengaluru’s most well-known areas, including MG Road, Majestic, Railway Station, Vidhana Soudha, and others. The Purple Line is being expanded to Challaghatta in the south-west and Whitefield in the east.
On August 30, 2021, the section from Mysuru Road to Kengeri became operational. The BMRCL put in Rs 1,820 crore to build the elevated line and Rs 181 crore to acquire land. By March 2022, the metro line has been extended by two kilometres along the same path to Challaghatta. Challaghatta will be the city’s first elevated metro depot.
Pink Line
The pink line is one of the future metro projects in Bangalore that shall improve the city’s connectivity. This section will link Kalena Agaraha (formerly Gottigere) to Nagawara over a distance of about 21 kilometres. There will be a 7.5-kilometer elevated route and a 13.8-kilometer underground section. In total, 18 metro stations are proposed for this metro line.
According to the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL), approximately 75% of the underground tunnelling work for the Pink Line has been completed. Tunnelling work for 15.2 kilometres of the 21.2 kilometres has been finished. The BMRCL intends to complete the Pink Line by the end of March 2025.
Green Line
The Green Line of the Bangalore Metro connects Nagasandra in the north-west to Anjanapura in the south-west. It has 30 stations and spans a distance of 30 kilometres. In conformity to the Purple Line, this stretch too is mostly elevated on both the north and south sides, with a four-kilometer underground section in the middle. There are 26 elevated metro stations and three underground stations on the route. Bengaluru Metro Green Line crosses through commercial and industrial centers such as Peenya and Yeshwanthpur in the north with residential areas such as Basavanagudi, Jayanagar and Banashankari. The Green Line is also being extended to Madavara in the north-west and Silk Institute in the south, increasing the length of the route to 33.5 kilometres.
Phase 3
The Phase 3 alignment of the Bangalore Metro has been finalised. The Bangalore metro route will run for 105 kilometers, connecting other Metro lines, suburban rail lines, and bus depots at nine points while also allowing for multi-modal integration. The proposed work is expected to be completed by 2027-2028.
Corridor 1 was originally planned to conclude at Hebbal Railway Station. The Metro Phase 3 will also be extended by approximately 2 kilometres and will link to Kempapura. The plan is expected to cost around Rs 13,500 crore.
Under Phase 3, there will be two corridors:
- Corridor 1 will stretch for 31 kilometres along the Outer Ring Road (ORR West), connecting J P Nagar and Kempapura. It will have 22 stations that will intersect with Phase 2B of the Airport route.
- Corridor 2 will be 11 kilometres long, connecting Hosahalli Toll to Kadabagere.
According to the suggested new metro route map, the metro routes in Bangalore include:
- Carmelaram to Yelahanka, covering 37 kms
- Marathahalli to Hosakerehalli, covering 21 kms
- Bommasandra to Attibele
- Gottigere to Basavanapura
- RK Hegde Nagar to Aerospace Park
- Kogilu Cross – Rajanukunte
The government stated in 2020 that using the public-private partnership (PPP) model, two corridors would be developed as metrolite lines. This shall include a 30 km ORR West Line from Hebbal to Mysore Road Metro Station and a 14 km stretch from Magadi Road Toll Gate to Kadabagere.
The BMRCL proposed a Comprehensive Mobility Plan for subsequent stages in December 2019. This covers the following Phase 3 routes:
- Magadi Road Toll gate to Kadabgere (Metrolite) (12.5 km)
- Hebbal to Sarjapura (35 km)
The elevated Hosahalli Metro Station (on Magadi road from Toll Gate) to Kadabagere will have nine metro stops. It is scheduled for completion in 2028.
Phase 4
According to the Comprehensive Mobility Plan, new metro stations will be built along the following routes in Phase 4:
- JP Nagar to Hebbal Kempapura (32.15 km)
- Whitefield to Domlur (31 km)
- Inner Ring UG Metro (34 km)
Conclusion
Bengaluru was the first city in south India to have metro train service. The Bengaluru Metro, also known as Namma Metro, now encompasses most of the city and will soon be expanded to the city’s outskirts to improve connectivity for the population. When the Bengaluru metro was opened, it became South India’s first underground metro system. It has underground, at-grade, and elevated metro stations. The Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has been designated for developing, operating, and expanding Bengaluru’s metro network. It is a joint initiative of the Government of India and the Government of Karnataka. Prime Minister Narendra Modi initiated the Whitefield (Kadugodi)- KR Puram Metro line on March 25, 2023. The route’s metro operations started on March 26, 2023.
The 13.72-kilometer section is Bangalore’s first Metro-connected technology corridor. It is predicted to reduce travel time by 40% and benefit nearly 6 lakh people working in IT parks, Export Promotion Industrial Areas, malls, and hospitals. It will also promote the development of the software sector and reduce traffic congestion. Under Namma Metro’s Phase 2 plan the new section has been developed as part of the purple line linking Baiyappanahalli and Whitefield. The Baiyappanahalli Metro Station is located on Namma Metro’s Purple Line.
According to BMRCL officials, the Bengaluru Metro rail project is on schedule to complete 175 kilometres of city connectivity by June 2025. Bangalore will have 314 km of Metro connectivity by 2041 under the second and third stages of the metro project. The Karnataka government recently granted preliminary clearance for Phase 3 of the Bangalore Metro project. The upcoming 32.16-kilometer Bangalore metro line is anticipated to cost Rs 16,368 crore. The project will be funded by the central government in addition to loans collected by the Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited. (BMRCL).
The Karnataka Chief Minister recently stated that Bangalore Metro service to Kempegowda International Airport will commence by the end of 2023. The Metro Phase 2B project shall include the construction of a 39-kilometer-long route beginning in Krishnarajapura (KR Puram). The stretch shall follow the northern section of the Outer Ring Road (ORR), passing through Nagawara, Hebbal, and Jakkur before connecting with the airport.
Under Phase 3 of the Bangalore Metro Rail project, the Karnataka government plans to introduce four new Metro corridors by 2032 to provide better connectivity to Bangalore residents, according to an action plan prepared by the Karnataka department of planning, programme monitoring, and statistics and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FICCI). The proposed new metro lines are projected to provide Metro access to every citizen within 1-2 kilometres of their jobs or homes.
The planned Metro corridors, which will cost Rs 27,000 crore, will include two new Metro routes and two extensions:
- Old Airport Road, a 16-kilometer stretch from MG Road to Hope Farm via Marathahalli and Whitefield/IT corridor (underground), is expected to cost Rs 9,600 crore.
- Nagawara to Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) via Thanisandra/ Bharatiya City for a distance of 25 kilometres for an approximate cost of Rs 10,000 crore.
- A 6-kilometer Metro expansion from Whitefield to Katamanallur / Hoskote at an approximate cost Rs 2,400 crore.
- A 12-kilometer extension of the Bannerghatta stretch to Jigani at a cost of Rs 4,800 crore.
Phase 2B
The Bangalore (Namma) Metro Phase 2B project is a 37 Km, 17-station ‘Airport-Link’ portion of the under-development Blue Line that connects Bengaluru city to Kempegowda International Airport (KIAL) in Devanahalli. A metro route to the airport has been planned since 2005, when work on the city’s airport began. It was originally envisioned as a high-speed rail connection linking the city’s CBD (MG Road) to be carried out by a special-purpose vehicle independent of the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation.
RITES proposed two lines to the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation (BMRCL) in October 2015. BMRCL solicited public input on nine routes in September 2016, and finalised four routes in late April 2017. In May 2017, they chose the path that would extend Line-4 through Nagawara, RK Hegde Nagar, Jakkur, and Yelahanka. The Karnataka Government approved the 37 km route with 17 stops as an extension of Line-5 (ORR Line) via KR Puram, Nagawara, Hebbal, and Yelahanka in January 2019.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will finance Phases 2A and 2B (KR Puram – Yelahanka – Bangalore Airport) with a $500 million loan approved by its board in December 2020. In addition, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will lend a $318 million loan too. It was formally agreed upon in March 2021. Phase 2B was approved by the central cabinet in April 2021. The DPR (Detailed Project Report) for Phase 2B has not been made available online by BMRCL.
Phase 2B’s Funding
Estimated Cost: 9,616.51 crore
- ADB: Rs. 2,410.79 crore
- JICA: Rs. 1,310.74 crore
- PPP Sources: Rs. 800 crore
- State Govt: Rs. 4,074.34 crore
- Central Govt: Rs. 1,260.54 crore
Bids for Phase 2B construction work were sought in July 2019 via three civil packages.
- Current Phase 2B Deadline: 2024
- Estimated Completion Estimate: 2027
Route Information
Line-5 – Blue Line: KR Puram – Hebbal – KIAL Terminals
- Length: 37 km
- Type: Elevated, At-Grade and Underground (within the airport)
- Depot: Shettigere Depot (in addition to Phase 2A’s Baiyappanahalli Depot)
- Number of Stations: 17
- Station Names: Kasturinagara, Horamavu, HRBR Layout (erst. Babusaheb Palya), Kalyan Nagar, HBR layout, Nagawara, Veerannapalya, Kempapura, Hebbal, Kodigehalli, Jakkur Cross, Yelahanka (erst. Kogilu Cross), Bagalur Cross (erst. Bagalur/PRR Cross), Bettahalasuru, Doddajala (erst. Trumpet Junction), Airport City (erst. Sky Garden, to be built at-grade) and KIAL Terminals (erst. Airport Terminal, to be built partially underground).
