BANGALORE (Metro Rail News): Last week, in response to a query posed by Bengaluru Central Lok Sabha member P C Mohan, Union Minister of State for Housing And Urban Affairs Kaushal Kishore informed Parliament that they had received a proposal from the Karnataka Government to implement the third phase of the Namma Metro Project.
This phase will have two corridors, the first being a 32.15 km route with 22 stations extending from Kempapura to JP Nagar Phase IV, which will create a circular metro line around the Outer Ring Road (ORR) once complete.
The second corridor, with a length of 12.5 km and nine stations, will stretch from Hosahalli to Kadabagere along Magadi Road.
In November 2022, the State government gave in-principal approval to the Phase III of the Namma Metro project and asked the Union government to support the implementation of the plan.
For Corridor 1 of the project, there are plans for stations at JP Nagar (IV, V phases), Kamakhya bus depot, PES Institute of Technology, Nagarbhavi Circle, Sumanahalli Cross, Hosakerehalli Cross, Kanteerava Studio, Peenya, BEL Circle, Mysuru Road, and Hebbal. Similarly, Corridor 2 is likely to include stations at Hosahalli, Sumanahalli Cross, Herohalli, Vinayak Nagar, Byadarahalli, Sunkadakatte, and Kadabagere on the Magadi Road section.
The project, estimated at Rs 16,368 crore, is set to take five years to finish from when the Central government approves it.
The Union government and the State government will split 40 per cent of the cost, whereas the remaining 60 per cent will be sourced through debt. Moreover, the Centre is expected to offer additional funds through the PM Gati-Shakti programme to speed up transport infrastructure projects.
The Bengaluru Metro referred to as “Namma Metro”, is a Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) with two lines and 51 stations in Bengaluru, the capital and biggest city in Karnataka. The project is managed by Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL), a joint venture of the Government of India and Karnataka.