175 km new metro lines will be added by 2026: DK Shivakumar

Bengaluru: Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Wednesday announced that 175 km of new metro lines would be operational by 2026 in Bengaluru.

Addressing a press conference after inspecting the newly added extension line from Nagasandra to Madavara on Tumkur Road, he said, “30 km of new metro lines will be added by 2025 and 175 km new metro lines will be added by 2026.”

Before addressing the press, the DCM took a ride along with MP Tejaswi Surya, Nelamangala MLA Srinivasaiah, Dasarahalli MLA Muniraju from Yeshwanthpur metro station to Madavara metro station.

“We have completed the first and second phase of metro and the Centre has approved the 3rd phase of metro. We have already paid up Rs 1,130 crore for new train sets,” he added.

“Plans are afoot to build a pedestrian skywalk at Manjunathanagar metro station. We have also entered into an agreement with Indian Railways to jointly develop pedestrian passage at Yeshwanthpur railway station. A project report has been prepared to develop an underpass at Chikkabidarakallu in association with National Highways Authority of India. We are also in discussion with NHAI to build an underpass at Madavara metro station. Commuters who travel to Bengaluru from Tumakuru side can park their vehicles at BEIC ground and take the metro to the city thus avoiding traffic,” he said.

“The 3-km metro extension line from Nagasandra to Madavara will be flagged off on an experimental basis for the public tomorrow. We will invite all the MPs and other representatives and officially inaugurate it at a later date,” he noted.

“The greenline is currently 33.46 km and the purple line is 40.5 km. I would like to thank the Centre and all the stakeholders who joined hands for making it a possibility. The ridership in Bengaluru is the highest in the country and it shows that the metro service is helping people of Bengaluru,” he added.