Bengaluru Metro floats tender to prepare DPR for 59.6-km extension of Green Line to Tumakuru

Bengaluru Metro's Green Line

Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) on November 15 floated a tender to prepare the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for a 59.60-km extension of the Green Line from Madavara (BIEC) to Tumakuru.

The new corridor will pass through Nelamangala, Dabaspet and Kyathasandra. Tender is likely to be opened on November 21, 2025. The move comes after the state government’s directive to BMRCL to commission a feasibility study for the project.

Also, read: Bengaluru Metro to stretch 60 km to Tumakuru in Rs 20,600 crore mega project

In July 2024, Hyderabad-based Aarvee Associates Architects Engineers & Consultants Pvt Ltd. was awarded the contract to prepare the feasibility study for the Bengaluru–Tumakuru Metro project under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model at a cost of Rs 1.25 crore. The proposal, first announced in the 2024-25 Karnataka Budget, is likely to cost Rs 20,649 crore. In September 2025, Home Minister G. Parameshwara, who has been advocating the project, confirmed that the government had approved the feasibility study. Following the submission of the feasibility report, the government instructed BMRCL to prepare a DPR under a PPP structure.

According to the tender document, the proposed 59.6-km corridor will include around 25 stations and aims “to provide safe, seamless and accessible mobility between Tumakuru and Bengaluru”. The corridor is expected to improve connectivity for peripheral regions and reduce carbon emissions. However, rail activists have argued that an RRTS or suburban rail system may be better suited for Tumakuru’s mobility needs.

Also, read: Bengaluru Metro's extension to outskirts, double-decker flyovers; contracts awarded for feasibility studies

The consultant selected for the DPR will review the feasibility study and finalise key elements, including corridor alignment, station locations and multimodal integration with bus terminals and railway stations. As mandated by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), the DPR will also contain an Alternative Analysis Report to evaluate various mass rapid transit options.

The study will be undertaken in two parts-validation of MRT alternatives and alignment scenarios, followed by detailed DPR preparation.

The DPR will include a comprehensive city and regional transport analysis, travel demand forecasts and technology selection. It will assess elevated, underground and at-grade construction options, geotechnical conditions, and land requirements for stations, depots and multimodal hubs. Plans for station accessibility, including features for persons with disabilities, will be incorporated.

Also, read: Bengaluru's traffic conundrum: Metro rail to the outskirts, suburban rail confined to city limits, and tunnel vision

The technical study will also cover intermodal integration, station yard layouts, rolling stock planning, telecommunications, CBTC-based signalling with GoA4 automation, National Common Mobility Card-compliant fare collection, traction and power supply systems, ventilation and air-conditioning requirements, depot planning, environmental and social impact assessments, disaster management strategies and cost estimates.

A Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) framework will be developed, identifying potential land parcels for redevelopment, densification strategies based on FSI and land value capture mechanisms.

A major component of the DPR will be the financial strategy, analysing farebox and non-farebox revenue streams, O&M costs, construction phasing and long-term viability. The DPR will evaluate multiple PPP models, including BOT, DBFOT, DFBOT and developer-financed approaches. Financial returns, 30-year FIRR projections and sensitivity analyses based on ridership, cost changes and delays will be included.

The project structure will be aligned with the Metro Rail Policy 2017, which mandates PPP participation wherever feasible. The DPR will examine central assistance options such as Viability Gap Funding, a 10 percent central grant mechanism and the possibility of a joint SPV between the state and central governments. The DPR will outline the legal and institutional mechanisms required for project implementation, especially under PPP or SPV models.

Also, read: Bengaluru, satellite towns to get semi-high-speed RRTS corridors? NCRTC submits proposal to Karnataka govt