Namma Metro Phase 3: RITES Report Backs Double-Decker Corridor

Bengaluru's long-pending Namma Metro Phase 3 project has moved a step closer to full central approval after a draft study by RITES Ltd found the revised plan, which now includes a double-decker corridor, remains economically viable. This assessment addresses concerns raised by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) over the project's revised structure and comes at a crucial time for the city's expanding transit network.

The controversy began after the Centre originally cleared Phase 3 without a double-decker element. The Centre had approved Namma Metro Phase-3 on September 13, 2024, but the approved proposal did not include a double-decker viaduct, and the state government later proposed the addition, increasing the project cost by nearly ₹9,700 crore. Karnataka pushed for the change to tackle worsening road congestion in the city's western corridor. The Karnataka government has maintained that the double-decker corridor is necessary to tackle Bengaluru's growing traffic congestion while also improving public transport connectivity.

However, the revised design triggered scrutiny at the central level. The revised proposal raised concerns within the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, particularly over whether a flyover above the metro alignment could affect metro ridership by encouraging more people to use private vehicles. To settle the matter, RITES was asked to study the socio-economic viability of the project.

The numbers from the draft report have offered reassurance. According to the draft assessment, the project's EIRR has come down from the earlier estimate of 17.04% to 15.9% after the addition of the double-decker corridor. Crucially, this figure still clears the bar required for central funding. The report estimates that the 44.65-kilometre Phase-3 project will achieve an Economic Internal Rate of Return of 15.9 per cent, higher than the 14 per cent benchmark generally required for metro rail projects to secure approval from the Central Government.

On the ground, the scale of the double-decker plan has already been scaled down once for feasibility reasons. The state cabinet approved the Rs 9,700-crore double-decker viaduct project, slashing the double-decker length from 44.65 km to 37.121 km. The design closely follows an existing template in the city. The metro line will be stacked above the flyover, much like the existing double-decker running from Ragigudda to Silk Board Junction. Engineers have also planned for local traffic needs along the stretch. Bengaluru's longest double-decker planned under Namma Metro's Phase 3 will feature entry/exit ramps at five locations and loops at nine places to serve local traffic needs, with BMRCL building the 37.121-km double-deck viaduct across two corridors of the 44.65-km Phase 3.

State leadership has been actively lobbying the Centre to close out the approval. Shivakumar urged the Centre to approve the double-decker corridor proposal, citing Bengaluru's worsening traffic situation and future infrastructure requirements. The same meeting also touched on cost escalation in the metro network's earlier phase, underlining the scale of investment flowing into the city's transit backbone. He also sought approval for the revised cost of Namma Metro Phase-2, which has increased to ₹40,425.02 crore.

For homebuyers, the significance goes beyond the headline numbers. Phase 3 will bring metro connectivity to areas along the western Outer Ring Road, Mysuru Road, and Magadi Road that have historically lagged behind the east and south in transit infrastructure. Phase 3, also called the Orange Line, will be fully elevated and bring the metro to the western side of the Outer Ring Road and the remote areas along Magadi Road, and is estimated to carry 7.85 lakh passengers per day, expanding Bengaluru's metro network to 222.2 km. The line will also plug into the existing network at multiple points. Phase 3 will have six interchange stations: JP Nagar 4th Phase (Pink Line), JP Nagar (Green Line), Mysuru Road (Purple Line), Sumanahalli Cross, Goraguntepalya (Green Line) and Kempapura (Blue Line).

With the draft RITES findings now backing the project's economics, the next milestone is formal central sign-off. With the RITES assessment indicating that the revised Phase-3 project continues to meet the Centre's economic viability standards, officials believe the proposal is now in a stronger position to secure final approval and move towards implementation. For residential markets along the western and southern corridors of Bengaluru, including JP Nagar, Mysuru Road, and Magadi Road, this development strengthens the long-term connectivity story that continues to anchor real estate demand in these micro-markets.