Namma Metro Phase 3 plan afoot; Rs 1,000 cr sought from state govt

As Centre prepares to okay DPR, groundwork will start soon on the West of ORR line

Bengaluru: Groundwork is set to begin on Namma Metro’s Phase 3 as the BMRCL has sought over Rs 1,000 crore in the upcoming state budget to undertake works related to two new lines. 

Phase 3 will be 44.65 km long and have two new lines (JP Nagar 4th Phase to Kempapura and Hosahalli to Kadabagere).

The first line will cover the western part of the Outer Ring Road while the second will run along Magadi Road. 

The Detailed Project Report (DPR) for Phase 3 was sent to the union government in November 2022 for approval. After lengthy discussions, the Centre will likely approve the DPR by March, multiple sources in Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) said. 

"The union government usually takes 12-18 months to approve the DPR. So this is nothing unusual,” a well-placed source told DH. 

To carry out the groundwork, the BMRCL has requested the state government to allocate Rs 1,003.47 crore in the upcoming budget for Phase 3, the source added. 

While a key sticking point about reducing the train length from six to three coaches for the Magadi Road line has been resolved, another official source said all nine stations between Hosahalli and Kadabagere would have the standard 135-metre-long platforms. “We may run six-coach trains in the future based on demand,” the source added. 

The BMRCL has already undertaken pre-construction activities for the ORR line. These include shifting of utilities, enumeration of trees and land acquisition. 

Talking about land acquisition, the BMRCL’s General Manager (Land Acquisition) M S Channappagoudar said properties required to build stations and viaducts between JP Nagar 4th Phase and Mysuru Road had been identified and documents were being collected from owners. 

However, land requirement plans for the Nagarabhavi-Kempapura stretch and the Magadi Road line are still being finalised, he added. 

While the metro viaduct will mostly run along the median strip, it will take a different route in some places given the presence of flyovers and railway lines. The alignment will change at the Delmia Circle flyover, Deve Gowda Petro Bunk and the flyover on Mysuru Road. In addition, the metro line will pass through defence land and skirt the railway line near Yeshwantpur.

“We will need private land to build the viaduct at these places,” he told DH. 

Channappagoudar added that land acquisition would start as soon as the government approved Phase 3 and would take 6-8 months. 

Phase 3 Details

Length: 44.65 km

Lines: 2

Stations: 31

JP Nagar 4th Phase-Kempapura: 32.15 km; 23 stations

Hosahalli-Kadabagere: 12.5 km; 9 stations

Funds sought in 2024-25: Rs 1,003.47 cr