Bengaluru’s proposed double-decker Metro corridors have hit a fresh delay, with approval from the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs still pending and the design of the project likely to be revised, according to a report by Vijay Karnataka. The change could reduce the length of the double-decker sections and force the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) to cancel and reissue tenders.
The proposal forms part of Namma Metro’s Phase 3 plan, covering a total of 44.65 km. The project includes a 32-km corridor from JP Nagar 4th Phase to Kempapura and a 12-km corridor between Kadabagere and Hosahalli. The Karnataka government approved the Phase 3 plan in 2022 and sent it for consideration by the Centre. The project, estimated to cost Rs 15,611 crore, received central approval in 2024, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi later performed its foundation-laying ceremony, the report said.
Karnataka has since submitted a revised proposal seeking permission for approximately 37 km of double-decker construction along the two corridors. The state has offered to meet the estimated Rs 9,700-crore cost from its own resources. However, approval for the double-decker component has not yet been granted by the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
The proposed structure would combine an elevated Metro line with road infrastructure on the existing alignment. The state government has argued that this approach could expand transport capacity without requiring additional land acquisition. Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar said during an interaction with editors that the double-decker arrangement was necessary to address Bengaluru’s traffic congestion and expressed disappointment over the lack of central approval.
The report said the Centre’s concerns include the effect of parallel road and Metro infrastructure on ridership and the project’s financial viability. The proposed double-decker configuration is understood to reduce the economic internal rate of return of Phase 3 below the stipulated minimum benchmark of 14 percent, according to the report. The concern is that additional road capacity could encourage greater private-vehicle use and reduce the number of passengers using the Metro, affecting revenue.
A revised design could shorten the double-decker sections substantially. The approved project already includes double-decker flyovers at key junctions, including a 1.4-km section at the Outer Ring Road–Kanakapura Road junction and a 1.6-km section at Kamakya junction. Along with other congestion-prone locations, the proposal covers about 8 km of double-decker construction in these areas. The overall double-decker alignment could now be reduced by about 11 km, the report said.
BMRCL invited tenders in January for three packages covering the proposed 37-km double-decker section. The tenders have not been opened because the Centre’s approval is pending. A BMRCL official told Vijay Karnataka that if the project format changes, the existing tenders could be cancelled and fresh bids invited.
The delay also affects the wider pace of Bengaluru’s Metro expansion. The airport corridor from KR Puram to Kempegowda International Airport was the last project implemented through BMRCL after its foundation stone was laid in 2022. Since then, the Phase 3 project and the proposed Phase 3A corridor between Hebbal and Sarjapur have not moved into implementation, while the revised detailed project report for Phase 3A remains under consideration by the Centre. The next step will depend on the Union ministry’s decision on the double-decker proposal and the design submitted by Karnataka.
