Bengaluru
oi-Madhuri Adnal
Bengaluru Metro’s Yellow Line, which currently runs from RV Road to Bommasandra, could soon be extended further towards Attibele. The 18.82-km line has 16 stations and connects key areas such as Central Silk Board and Electronic City. BMRCL is now planning a 10.5-km extension to Attibele, with nine more stations proposed along Hosur Road.
If the plan goes ahead, the extension could make daily travel between Bommasandra, Chandapura and Attibele easier, especially for people commuting along the rapidly developing Hosur Road stretch towards the Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border.
Bengaluru Metro’s Yellow Line is planned for a 10.5 km extension to Attibele, adding nine stations to improve connectivity along Hosur Road, though direct integration with the proposed Hosur metro faces technological and logistical hurdles.
Nine stations proposed
As part of its feasibility study, BMRCL has proposed these stations:
Narayana Institute of Cardiac Sciences
Chandapura Circle
Old Chandapura
Thirumagondanahalli
Balagaranahalli
Attibele Industrial Area
Yadavanahalli
Attibele
Attibele Terminal
The first station would be near Narayana Institute of Cardiac Sciences, about 1.5 km from the current Yellow Line terminal at Bommasandra.
From there, the metro would pass through Chandapura Circle, Old Chandapura, Thirumagondanahalli and Balagaranahalli. These stations could also make it easier for people from nearby areas such as Neralur, Chandapura, Masrur and Suryanagar to access the metro.
The line would then continue towards Attibele Industrial Area, Yadavanahalli and Attibele before ending at the proposed Attibele Terminal. The Yadavanahalli station is also expected to serve nearby areas such as Jigala, Giddenahalli and Krishnasagara.
DPR work could start soon
The proposed metro line is planned along the right side of Hosur Road (NH 44). Foot overbridges and subways may be provided at locations where passengers need safer access to the stations.
BMRCL has already submitted the feasibility study to the Karnataka government, which has approved the preparation of a Detailed Project Report (DPR). Tenders for preparing the DPR are expected to be invited soon.
What about the proposed Hosur Metro?
The Yellow Line extension is also important because there are separate plans to connect Hosur in Tamil Nadu with Bommasandra by metro.
Tamil Nadu Finance Minister N Marie Wilson recently announced that the state is pursuing a 23-km Hosur-Bommasandra metro corridor with 12 stations. A feasibility study has suggested that around 12 km of the line could fall in Karnataka and the remaining 11 km in Tamil Nadu.
However, connecting the metro systems of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu is not straightforward. There are differences in the technology planned by the two states.
Bengaluru Metro uses 750V DC third-rail power, while Tamil Nadu has proposed 25kV AC overhead power for its metro. There are also differences in train sizes, with Bengaluru operating six-coach trains and Tamil Nadu proposing three-coach trains.
Land acquisition and deciding how fare revenue would be shared between the two states are other issues that need to be worked out.
Instead of directly connecting the two metro systems, BMRCL has suggested that Karnataka and Tamil Nadu could build their metro lines separately up to their respective sides of the border.
The two stations at Attibele could then be connected by a 90-metre foot overbridge. Passengers would be able to get off one metro system, cross the bridge and board the other, without the two networks having to use the same technology.
