Namma Metro Network to Touch 175 km by December 2027: DK Shivakumar

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has said Bengaluru's Namma Metro network is set for a major expansion, with operational lines expected to stretch to 175 kilometres by December 2027.

After reviewing ongoing projects at the Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) headquarters on Monday (December 22), Shivakumar said the city will see rapid additions to its metro footprint over the next three years. The expansion plan includes new corridors, elevated double-decker routes and metro lines extending to the city's outer limits.

Officials expect 41 km of new metro lines to become operational by December 2026, followed by another 38 km by December 2027. The second phase of additions will include the much-anticipated metro link to Kempegowda International Airport, taking the total operational network length to 175 km.

At present, Bengaluru has 96 km of functioning metro corridors. Shivakumar pointed out that the recently commissioned Yellow Line, stretching 24 km, is already seeing strong ridership, with nearly one lakh passengers using it every day.

He said traffic data collected by the Bengaluru police indicates a 30 per cent drop in congestion around Electronic City, an area long plagued by bottlenecks, since the Yellow Line became operational.

Looking ahead, Shivakumar said work on Phase 3 of Namma Metro is gathering pace. Tenders for close to 100 km of new metro routes are expected to be issued next month. A key feature of this phase will be 42 km of elevated double-decker corridors, designed to carry metro trains above road traffic.

"This will be the longest double-decker corridor project of its kind in the country," Shivakumar said, highlighting the scale of the engineering effort.

On the funding front, Shivakumar said the project includes ₹15,600 crore in loans from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). In addition, elevated corridor works worth about ₹9,700 crore are expected to be tendered in January.

The metro expansion will also push connectivity towards Nelamangala, Magadi, Tavarekere, Hosakote and Bidadi, improving access to rapidly growing suburban areas. While acknowledging hurdles such as land acquisition issues and traffic-related delays, Shivakumar said the state government remains