Bengaluru
oi-Madhuri Adnal
Bengaluru’s much-awaited Namma Metro Red Line is still waiting for a green signal from the Centre, with the Union government saying it cannot specify when the project will be approved. This comes even after the Karnataka government and Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) spent nearly two years revising the proposal and significantly reducing its cost to address concerns raised by the Centre.
In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) said the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the 37.8-km Hebbal-Sarjapur Metro corridor has been submitted by the Karnataka government and is currently under detailed appraisal. The Ministry said the project can be approved only after completing the mandatory technical and financial evaluation laid down under the Metro Rail Policy, 2017.
Bengaluru’s 37.8 km Hebbal-Sarjapur Metro Red Line proposal, revised to approx. ₹25,999 crore, is under appraisal for Union government approval, with no specified timeline due to mandatory technical and financial evaluation.
The clarification came in response to a question raised by Rajya Sabha MP Ajay Maken. The Centre said metro rail projects are approved based on technical feasibility, financial viability and the availability of funds. Since the appraisal process is still underway, it is not possible to commit to any timeline for approving the Red Line.
For Bengaluru, this means the proposed Phase 3A metro corridor remains on hold despite several rounds of revisions intended to make the project more financially viable.
The Hebbal-Sarjapur corridor is considered one of the city’s most important upcoming metro projects. Once approved and completed, it is expected to provide seamless connectivity between north Bengaluru and the IT hubs in the southeast. The line is planned to pass through key residential and commercial areas, including Koramangala and the Central Business District (CBD), easing travel across some of Bengaluru’s busiest stretches.
The project has been under the Centre’s scrutiny since its DPR was first submitted. One of the major concerns raised was the high construction cost, particularly the underground portions of the corridor. Following discussions with the Union government, BMRCL undertook an extensive cost optimisation exercise.
Several changes were made to bring down costs. Underground stations were redesigned, parts of the alignment were refined and station locations were modified. BMRCL also appointed an engineering consultancy to review construction estimates and recommend cost-saving measures after comparing costs with similar metro projects across the country.
These revisions helped reduce the project’s estimated cost to around ₹25,999 crore, substantially lower than the earlier proposal submitted for approval.
Even after the appraisal is completed, the project will still need clearance from the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) before construction can begin.
The Union government has clarified that the delay is not due to any specific procedural issue. According to MoHUA, the Red Line is being evaluated under the same framework that applies to all metro rail projects in India, which requires them to meet technical, financial and feasibility criteria before receiving Central approval.
The Rajya Sabha reply also provided an update on Namma Metro Phase 3. The Centre has committed an equity contribution of ₹1,695 crore for the project, of which ₹1,077.89 crore has already been released.
For now, Bengaluru’s long-awaited Red Line remains under evaluation. While the project has cleared several hurdles by reducing costs and refining its plans, commuters will have to wait a little longer for clarity on when the Centre will finally give it the go-ahead.
