Despite feasibility debate, BMRCL to prepare DPR for Bengaluru-Tumakuru metro

Bengaluru: Setting the ball rolling for building a mass rapid transit system between Bengaluru and Tumakuru, Namma Metro on Sunday floated tenders for preparing the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the 59.6-km corridor starting at Madavara.

This line is estimated to cost Rs 20,896 crore with 27 stations, including two planned for the future.

According to Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL), the Madavara-Nelamangala section will have stations spaced 1-2 km apart, while the stretch from Nelamangala to Tumakuru may get a station every 4-5 km.

Given the high cost, the project may be taken up by PPP, BOT, DFBOT, DBFOT or the Developer Finance Model.

The Tumkuru corridor is one of the five extensions and three new lines proposed under Namma Metro's 210.9-km Phase 4, mainly aimed at connecting the city's core to the periphery.

The BMRCL is going ahead with the DPR preparation after the state government accepted the Feasibility Study Report on the Madavara-Tumakuru metro line earlier this year.

The BMRCL has given bidders just a week to submit the Requests for Proposal (RFPs) and will open the bids on November 21. Bidders will have five months from the award of the Letter of Acceptance (LoA) to prepare the DPR.

The consultant will have to explore the most reasonable and feasible Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system, evaluating mobility, conceptual engineering, environmental and social assessment, cost effectiveness and affordability, and financial and economic aspects. A key aspect of the DPR should be integration with existing and planned metro rail corridors as well as bus terminals and railway stations.

It will also suggest whether the line should be elevated, underground or at-grade.

The consultant will undertake geotechnical investigations along the corridor and the depot location, topography, traffic and transportation surveys, future travel demand and ridership assessment.

The project has received criticism since it was first mooted by Home Minister and Tumakuru district in-charge minister G Parameshwara nearly two years ago.

Critics say a metro is better suited for intra-city travel while a suburban railway or Rail Rapid Transit System (RRTS) line is better for inter-city connectivity.

Namma Metro's average operating speed is 34 kmph, meaning the 60-km distance will take nearly two hours, the same as a bus or train.

The South Western Railway (SWR) plans to quadruple the Bengaluru-Tumakuru line at a cost of Rs 3,500 crore. Railway Infrastructure Development Company Karnataka (K-RIDE) has proposed a suburban line to Tumakuru. Recently, the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) showed interest in preparing DPRs for RRTS corridors between Bengaluru and four cities, including Tumakuru. However, all these projects are still in the conceptual stage.

A senior BMRCL official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, indicated the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) is unlikely to approve the Tumakuru line unless it is taken up under a PPP model.

Another official noted that clarity on funding will come only after the DPR is finalised, approved by Karnataka and sent to the ministry. The process could take up to two years.