Bengaluru’s Hebbal junction: A multimodal transit hub or lost opportunity?

Bengaluru: The Karnataka high court ruling in the Hebbal land case has brought renewed focus to Namma Metro's ambitious plans for the critical traffic junction. 

Hearing petitions by landowners, the court on April 10 ordered a CBI probe into the acquisition of 53 acres and 26 guntas in Hebbal and Hebbal Ammanikere villages by the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) in 2004. It termed the acquisition a "monumental fraud committed by state authorities in collusion, collaboration and criminal conspiracy" with Lakeview Tourism Corporation, a non-existent entity. 

The land, originally acquired for a tourism project, has remained undeveloped for over two decades. Landowners have not been compensated either. 

With the land lying vacant, Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) in March 2024 sought 45 acres and 5½ acres to build a depot, multi-level parking and a multi-modal hub. It offered Rs 12.1 crore per acre — the rate fixed by the KIADB. 

The BMRCL had previously acquired 6,712.97 sqm (1.65 acres) from the KIADB for station and viaduct construction for Phase 2B. 

However, citing legal complications, the government allotted the BMRCL only nine acres. The high court order adds a new twist to the saga. 

Speaking to DH on the condition of anonymity, several BMRCL officials said they were sticking to the revised plans for now. 

Of the nine acres, 4.62 acres are being used for the Phase 2B station, viaduct and parking. The remaining land is earmarked for property development, building foot overbridges to two upcoming metro stations (under Phases 3 and 3A) and a suburban railway station, and other uses. The plan is to turn Hebbal Junction into a major transit hub. 

The Phase 2B (airport line) station is coming up near the BMTC bus depot, while the Phase 3 and 3A stations will be located along the Outer Ring Road (ORR), close to the Hebbal flyover's Nagawara ramp. The suburban railway station will be built across the road, close to the railway tracks. 

"An FOB of about 200 metres will connect the stations. From the Phase 3A metro station, the FOB will further branch out and connect to the Hebbal railway station. One more ramp will connect to the Hebbal market," one of the officials told DH. 

The FOB to the Hebbal railway station may run above or below the flyover depending on the air clearance required for vehicular movement, he added. "Plans are being worked out," he added. 

While the Phases 3 and 3A metro stations will be in a single building, Phase 2B passengers will have to exit the paid area to interchange, a second official said. "The FOB can't be reserved for metro passengers alone," he noted. 

Entry and exit points for the proposed Silk Board Junction-Hebbal tunnel road are planned near the Phase 2B station. To accommodate this, the BMRCL has created a large span at the area, the official stated. 

Despite the adjacent bus depot, the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) has no plans to redevelop a full-fledged bus station at Hebbal. "Hebbal is an important stop for bus operations but not a major origin or destination point," a senior BMTC official said. 

While Phases 3 and 3A are years away from opening, the airport line is slated to open by December 2027. 

Civil work between Hebbal and Kempegowda International Airport (27.44 km) is about 75% complete while tracks have been laid for about six kilometres on this stretch. "We plan to complete the rest of the work this August. Systems work related to electrical and signalling will start afterwards," the official said. 

This stretch will have eight stations: Hebbal, Kodigehalli, Jakkur Cross, Yelahanka, Bagalur Cross, Doddajala, Airport City and Airport Terminal. The BMRCL plans to operationalise it by July 2027. 

Architectural finishing is set to begin in the coming days, starting with Bagalur Cross. In January, the contract for six stations ((Hebbal, Kodigehalli, Jakkur Cross, Yelahanka, Bagalur Cross and Doddajala) was awarded to NSL Constructions Private Limited for Rs 72.21 crore. 

Architectural finishing begins only after the main structure is ready and takes about six months to complete. 

"We'll run trains between Hebbal and the airport. But there will be a slight operational constraint. Hebbal lacks turnout tracks, so trains can't be reversed. Trains will run on both tracks between the airport and Yelahanka. After Yelahanka, trains will run only one track until Hebbal. This will be the case until the line towards Kempapura gets ready," the official said. 

Meanwhile, civil work on the 11-km KR Pura-Kempapura stretch is only about 60% complete. Work halted for nine months after a fatal accident in 2023. 

The official said persistent labour shortages had slowed the work. 

On this stretch, overall station work progress is 45-50%. Architectural finishing has begun at HRBR Layout. The contract for eight stations (Kasturi Nagar, Horamavu, HRBR Layout, Kalyan Nagar, HBR Layout, Nagawara, Veeranna palya and Kempapura) was awarded to Bridge and Roof Co Ltd for Rs 95.16 crore in February. 

Meanwhile, the Airport Terminal metro station is nearly ready, and work is in advanced stages at the Airport City station. Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) is building both stations. 

The BMRCL has dropped plans to build stations at Jakkur Plantation, Chikkajala and Bettahalasuru due to a lack of funds. As a result, the distance between Bagalur Cross and Doddajala will be 8.71 km. 

A view of the Hebbal metro station next to the BMTC bus depot. DH PHOTO/B K Janardhan

The official said provisions had been made to add stations at these locations in the future. "We have factored in geometry, viaduct height and curvature. But building the stations once the line is operational will be difficult and may have to be done only at night," he added.