Phase 3 metro: Hosakerehalli-Marathahalli line dropped

The budget has provided an elaborate plan for the Namma Metro Phase 3 network, including a metro ring along the Outer Ring Road. Studies are under way for six lines, about 95 km in length.

The 42.75-km metro line, starting from JP Nagar, will join the metro station at KR Puram, whereas the other half of the ring — the 19.45-km Silk Board-KR Puram line — is expected to be finished earlier under Phase 2A.

While the toll gate to the Kadabagere (12.5 km) line will connect the Phase 3 ORR line near the Sumanahalli flyover, the RK Hegdenagar-Aerospace Park (18.95 km) line will connect the Nagavara-Airport line, which will also provide a link to Rajanukunte (10.6 km) at Kogilu Cross.

In the south, the Gottigere line will be extended till Basavapura (3.07 km) and the Iblur station in the Silk Board-KR Puram line will link Karmelram (6.67 km).

The detailed project reports for many of the projects are being prepared in-house by the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited. Including Phase 3, Bengaluru will have a 250-km metro line.

With this, the government seems to have officially dropped the Hosakerehalli-Marathahalli line, proposed by the Rail India Technical and Economic Service (RITES), following a feasibility study. The line was part of the Phase 3 network mentioned in the agenda document placed before the Bengaluru Vision Group.

The BBMP is moving ahead with the pod-taxi route, despite opposition from experts and activists. It has been pointed out that the limited-carriage transport system will not be viable in the near future when the demand is expected to spike.

Last week, the BBMP had listed the pod-taxi project as part of the agenda for the council meeting, and deferred it in the last minute.