INDIA: Minister for Housing & Urban Affairs Manohar Lal said in August that India has now over 1 000 km of metro under construction or approved, following government sign-off of projects in three cities.
In Bengaluru, the third phase of construction will add 44·7 route-km along two corridors. These are the 32·2 km Orange Line (Line 6) following the western outer ring road from Kempapura in the north to Jaya Prakash Nagar on Line 2 with 21 stations, and the 12·5 km western radial Grey Line (Line 7) along Magadi Rd from Hosahalli on Line 1 to Kadabagere with nine stations. Together the new lines will cost Rs156·1bn and when complete would bring the city’s network up to 220 route-km.
Northeast of Mumbai, the Thane metro is to be developed as a 29 km ring line with 22 stations, expected to open around 2029. This would interchange with Mumbai Metro Line 4 which is under construction from central Mumbai, with Line 5 being built between Thane and Kalyan, and with main line services at Thane station. The Maharashtra Metro Rail Corp joint venture of the national and Maharashtra state governments is acting as project promoter. The line is expected to cost Rs122bn.
Pune’s 14·9 km Purple Line, or Line 1, is already being lengthened by a further 4 km in tunnel south to Swargate from its current city centre terminus at Civil Court. Maha Metro will now extend the route by a further 5·5 km underground to Katraj with two intermediate stations, with opening planned by February 2029. The budget is Rs29·5bn.
