INDIA: On December 6 the Karnataka Cabinet approved Phase 3A of the Bengaluru metro, allowing the project to go forward for central government approval. The planned 36·6 km Red Line is estimated to cost Rs28·4bn.
This follows government approval for Phase 3 in August 2024 covering the 32·2 km Orange Line and 12·5 km Grey Line. Phase 2, comprising the Yellow, Pink and Blue lines, is currently under construction.
From Hebbal on the north side of the city centre, the Red Line would run south in tunnel for 14·5 km, before turning southeast to climb onto elevated radial alignment to Sarjapur. There would be 28 stations, 17 of which would be elevated and 11 underground. A maintenance depot is planned for Sarjapur.
Three Red Line stations would offer interchange with the Blue Line to the airport, with Hebbal station also linking to the Orange Line. A station at KR Circle would link with Sir M Visvesvaraya station on the Purple Line, and at Dairy Circle the future Pink Line would have an interchange.
Preparatory work and land acquisition can now begin, along with tendering for civil engineering, but construction is unlikely to start before 2027.
Meanwhile, Bengaluru’s Yellow Line is undergoing final commissioning and is now expected to open in January 2025.
