The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) recently resubmitted a modified Phase-3 proposal to the central authorities for their consideration. In this revised plan, the cost has been significantly reduced by opting for three-coach trains on one of the corridors instead of the standard six-coach trains.

Phase 3 of the Metro expansion is designed to cover a distance of 44.65 kilometres and comprises two elevated corridors.

The first corridor extends from JP Nagar 4th Phase to Kempapura along the Outer Ring Road, spanning 12.5 kilometres, while the second one connects Hosahalli to Kadabgere along Magadi Road, covering a distance of 32.15 kilometres. The project includes a total of 31 stations.

Anjum Parwez, the Managing Director of BMRCL, explained, “We have resubmitted our comprehensive project report to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs for approval. The revised total cost for Phase 3 now stands at approximately Rs 15,600 crore. The Central authorities have directed that we initially use three-coach trains on the new Magadi Road Corridor, whereas our initial proposal featured six-car coaches. As a result, we had to revise and resubmit the plan. The MD also added, “Depending on ridership demand, we can consider upgrading to six-car trains in the future if necessary.”

It’s been almost a year since the state government granted approval for the project in November 2022, and the proposal was submitted to the central government in February 2023 with an estimated cost of Rs 16,328 crore, as per The New Indian Express report.

However, due to inquiries and document exchanges between the State and the Centre, the approval is still pending. Phase 3 has a targeted completion deadline of 2028.