Feasibility studies on to add 200+ km of new metro corridors: BMRCL official

Bengaluru: Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) is conducting feasibility studies for over 200 km of future corridors.

This year, Namma Metro is set to add 41 km to its network, reaching 137 km by year-end.

At an event on 'Sustainability in Action: Bengaluru’s Urban Challenge', Abhai Kumar Rai, Advisor (Civil), BMRCL, said the 41-km expansion would be completed by 2026, with another 38 km added in 2027, taking the network to 175 km by end of next year.

Rai joined a panel on 'Urban Sustainability Without the Gloss'.

"We are moving ahead with Phase 3 (44 km), and DPRs for Phase 3A (36 km) are ready and under review for sanction. We are also studying over 200 km of new corridors to support Bengaluru’s long-term mobility needs," he said, adding that Namma Metro would connect to the Kempegowda International Airport by 2027-end.

Beyond expansion, he highlighted metro efficiency technologies such as regenerative braking, delivering over 30% energy savings in train operations.

The event was organised by the Bangalore Chamber of Industry and Commerce (BCIC) and The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI).

Other panellists included Ajeet Kumar, Chief Engineer, CPWD; Ranjit Kumar, IVLP Fellow–Water Economics and Pricing, USA; Rajesh Kumar Jha, Chairman, Sustainability Expert Committee, BCIC; and Aloke Mukharjee, Program Lead-Research and Cities, WRI India. Sanjay Seth, Vice-President and CEO, GRIHA Council, moderated.

Panellists also discussed Bengaluru’s urban contradictions: water insecurity, fragmented mobility, weak ecosystem buffers and the slow pace of citizen behaviour change.

The BCIC and GRIHA Council signed a Memorandum of Understanding for long-term collaboration on sustainable infrastructure and green building adoption in Bengaluru’s industrial and corporate sectors.

‘Best Practices in Sustainable Built Environments—Case Studies from India and Australia’, a compilation of applied research and implementation frameworks, was also released.