Slug: Approval delay hits Metro
CH NEWS
BENGALURU
Bengaluru’s ambitious Metro expansion plans have hit a significant roadblock, with no new corridor entering the construction phase in more than four-and-a-half years. While attention has often focused on delays in commissioning completed stretches, the more pressing concern now is the absence of fresh projects reaching execution despite growing commuter demand across the city.
The last Metro project to enter the construction stage was the extended Airport Line from KR Pura to Kempegowda International Airport. Contracts for the corridor were awarded by the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) in November 2021, and work commenced in early 2022. Since then, not a single new corridor has broken ground.
Two major projects under Phase III and Phase IIIA remain caught in a lengthy approval process.
The 45-km Orange Line under Phase III consists of the JP Nagar 4th Phase–Kempapura and Hosahalli–Kadabagere corridors. The Karnataka government approved the project in November 2022 and forwarded it to the Centre, which granted approval in August 2024 at an estimated cost of Rs 15,611 crore.
However, the state’s decision to incorporate a 37.1-km double-decker structure, featuring a flyover on the lower level and Metro viaduct above, triggered fresh delays. The flyover component alone is expected to cost Rs 9,700 crore and will be entirely funded by the state government. Although the BMRCL Board approved the proposal in May 2025, it later sought a rapid assessment by RITES before resubmitting the revised plan to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA). The corporation is still awaiting clearance.
The 37-km Sarjapur–Hebbal corridor under Phase IIIA faces a similar fate. Conceived in 2023 and approved by the state in December 2024, the project includes a 14.3-km underground section and a 23.52-km elevated stretch. Initially estimated at Rs 28,405 crore, the proposal was sent to the Centre in January 2025.
During scrutiny, the Centre suggested redesigning underground stations to reduce costs and recommended dropping a proposed station near the Veterinary College on Ballari Road. The revised project report reduced the cost to Rs 25,999 crore. MoHUA also raised concerns over the proposed double-decker design, prompting BMRCL to engage IIT Roorkee for a feasibility study.
Even as tenders have been floated for select packages, both projects remain stalled awaiting final approvals, leaving Bengaluru’s Metro expansion in limbo.