Bengaluru: Karnataka has allocated Rs 650 crore for Phase 3 of Namma Metro in its state budget for 2024-25, official sources in BMRCL said. The agency has sought Rs 1,003.47 crore.
The metro operator has been given Rs 1,435 crore in this budget, as against Rs 2,831 crore last year.
It will spend the funds on the groundwork of the 44.65-km Phase 3, which will have two lines — JP Nagar 4th Phase-Hebbal, 32.15 km; and Hosahalli-Kadabagere; 12.5 km.
The BMRCL has undertaken pre-construction activities for the Hebbal line, including shifting of utilities, enumeration of trees and land acquisition.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said the state had given administrative approval for the Rs 15,611-crore Phase 3, and the union government's approval was awaited.
He said that the city's metro network would add another 44 km by March 2025. The present network is 74 km long.
Although he didn't specify the new lines that will open next year, they will most likely be the Green Line's Nagasandra-Madavara extension (3.14 km), Yellow Line (RV Road-Bommasandra, 19.15 km) and Pink Line (Kalena Agrahara-Nagavara, 21.26 km). All these lines are in advanced stages of construction.
Tunnelling on the Pink Line will be completed in the third quarter of this year. It usually takes a year to open an underground line after tunnelling.
Siddaramaiah said the Blue Line (Silk Board-KR Pura-Airport; 58.19 km) would be ready by June 2026.
He said a draft DPR was being prepared for Phase 3B (Sarjapur-Hebbal) and would be submitted to the central government for approval.
The BMRCL will also prepare a report on the feasibility of extending the metro from BIEC (Madavara) to Tumakuru and from the airport to Devanahalli on a PPP model, he added.
The state has allocated Rs 400 crore for the Bengaluru Suburban Railway Project. It had given Rs 1,000 crore last year but released only Rs 665 crore, according to an official in the project implementing agency K-RIDE.
Siddaramaiah said the state would draw the Centre's attention to the project and seek additional grants. The state will release matching grants, he added.
The BMTC will add 1,334 electric buses and 820 BS-6 diesel buses. The has been given Rs 150 crore.