Bengaluru’s metro network to cover 175 km by December 2027: DK Shivakumar

DEputy chief regime minister DK Shivakumar on mon said that the tell government planned to spread out Bengaluru’s Namma Metro network to a total of 175 kilometres by December 2027. He added that the plans also involved the construction of new metro lines, elevated double decker corridors, and extensions into the city’s outskirts.The deputy chief minister, who also holds the Bengaluru development portfolio, was speaking to reporters after reviewing metro projects at the Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) office. He said that currently, the city had operational metro lines stretching a total of 96 kilometres.“By December 2026, 41 kilometres of lines will be added. By December 2027, another 38 kilometres will be commissioned, including the metro line connecting the Bengaluru international airport. With this, a 175 kilometre long route will be operational in Bengaluru,” he saidShivakumar said that after the current government came to power, the 24- kilometre Yellow Line was commissioned. Around 100,000 (1 lakh) commuters travel on the line every day, he said, adding that traffic police data showed congestion around Electronic City had come down by 30% after its launch.The government was also moving ahead with the third phase of the metro project. Shivakumar said tenders would be floated next month for the construction of about 100 kilometres of new metro lines, with a total estimated cost of about ₹25,000 crore. This includes 42 kilometres of double decker corridors that will carry both metro lines and road traffic. “This is for the first time such a long double decker corridor is being built in the entire country,” he said, adding that the entire route would be built as an elevated corridor.Providing details on financing, Shivakumar said loans worth ₹15,600 crore would be extended by the Japan International Cooperation Agency. He said tenders for the remaining elevated corridor projects, estimated at about ₹9,700 crore, would be called in January.The expansion plans include extending metro connectivity toward Nelamangala, Magadi, Tavarakere, Hosakote and Bidadi. He said efforts were under way to finalise land for a metro station near Tavarakere, noting that traffic from Hassan passes through the area.Shivakumar acknowledged that land acquisition remains a challenge at certain locations due to court cases and heavy traffic conditions, which slowed progress. On funding and contractor participation, he said the government would adhere to the agreed cost sharing model.