Airport Metro line gets one station but loses another

Further tweaking the proposal for the airport line under Phase 2B, Namma Metro has added a new station between Bagalur and the Trumpet Flyover, thanks to Rs 140-crore private funding that will be utilised to build the Bettahalasuru station.

The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has reworked the line to connect the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA). The earlier alignment has been scrapped for the new one in which the line originates from KR Puram and reaches the airport via Hebbal. In January, the government approved the new line of 38 km and 17 stations, estimated to cost Rs 10,584.15 crore.

“The Embassy Group have confirmed that they will pay Rs 140 crore toward (the) cost of construction of the additional station, including the land cost,” the BMRCL told the government, which recently approved the proposal to add the Bettahalasuru station. Noting that the average distance of 1.5 km between stations from KR Puram to Yelahanka goes up to 4.6 km in the remaining section, the BMRCL had said that the distance between Bagalur Cross and Trumpet stations was 8.71 km and “therefore there is a scope for introducing one more station in-between”.

The total number of stations, however, will remain 17 as the government has also approved the plan to combine Kasturi Nagar and Channasandra stations following a detailed study.

The new station will come up 289 metres south of the Channasandra station, proposed earlier. It will be named the Kasturi Nagar station.

“Initially, the Kasturi Nagar station was suggested closer to the Benniganahalli junction to provide access to people living inside the ring road. But the traffic situation would not allow that and for those people, the KR Puram station will be nearer,” the proposal had said.

The government has agreed to it on the condition that it will not bear any additional cost for building the new station and suggested that the BMRCL enter into a memorandum of understanding (MoU).

While BMRCL Managing Director Ajay Seth could not be reached for comment, a metro official said approval would help expedite the process to finalise the detailed project report, which would give way for the tendering.