The Union government has said that metro rail projects involve significant capital expenditure and must undergo comprehensive evaluation under the Metro Rail Policy, 2017, before any approval is granted.
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The Union government has said that it cannot specify any timeline for approving Namma Metro’s Phase 3A (Red Line) project connecting Sarjapur and Hebbal, stating that the proposal is still undergoing detailed appraisal and that its sanction will depend on feasibility and availability of financial resources.
The clarification came in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha to a question by Ajay Maken on Monday, where the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) said that the detailed project report (DPR) for the 37.8-km corridor has been submitted by the Karnataka government. However, the Ministry noted that metro rail projects involve significant capital expenditure and must undergo comprehensive evaluation under the Metro Rail Policy, 2017, before any approval is granted. Because of this process, “no timeline can be specified” for according sanction to the project.
The response confirms that the Red Line remains pending at the Centre despite multiple revisions aimed at reducing its cost and addressing concerns raised during the appraisal process.
The corridor will connect Hebbal in north Bengaluru with Sarjapur Road in the southeastern IT corridor, traversing major commercial and residential hubs, including the central business district and Koramangala.
Lengthy review process
The project underwent a lengthy review process over the past two years. After the initial DPR was prepared, the proposal became the subject of extensive discussions between the Karnataka and the Union governments over its high construction cost, particularly the underground component. In response to the Centre’s observations, Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) undertook a comprehensive cost-optimisation exercise by redesigning underground stations, refining the alignment and making changes to station locations.
As part of this exercise, an engineering consultancy was engaged to review the estimates and suggest ways to reduce expenditure without affecting the project’s functionality. According to BMRCL officials, based on the recommendations, BMRCL shortened underground station lengths, benchmarked costs against comparable metro systems and revised several engineering elements, bringing down the project’s estimated cost substantially.
“The revised DPR was submitted earlier this year and forwarded to the Centre in April after receiving the Karnataka government’s approval. During the latest round of revisions, BMRCL also removed the proposed Veterinary College underground station, which had originally been planned between Mehkri Circle and Ganganagar near Hebbal, as another measure to improve the project’s financial viability,” an official said.
Mandatory appraisal requirements
Following these modifications, the corridor’s estimated cost now stands at around ₹25,999 crore. The project is currently awaiting approval from the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA)
According to the reply in the Rajya Sabha, the delay is not attributed to any specific procedural issue, but is linked to the mandatory appraisal requirements under the national policy framework.
The Ministry indicated that approvals depend on both technical and financial assessment, along with the availability of resources, before central sanction can be granted.
The reply also provided an update on metro Phase 3, stating that the Centre has committed an equity contribution of ₹1,695 crore for the project. Of this, ₹1,077.89 crore has already been released towards implementation.
Published – July 28, 2026 08:42 pm IST
