Revised Sarjapur-Hebbal Metro to Run Underground Through Koramangala
The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has revised its Detailed Project Report (DPR) for Namma Metro’s Red Line, confirming that the Sarjapur-Hebbal corridor will run underground through Koramangala. The revised plan, which was resubmitted to the Central Government in April 2026, has pushed the project's completion deadline back by two years to April 2033 due to alignment, station, and cost adjustments.
The Red Line is expected to connect the traffic-choked tech hub of Sarjapur with HSR Layout, Koramangala, the Central Business District (CBD), and Hebbal. According to the revised alignment, the elevated line will run along the median of Sarjapura Road to Iblur Junction, turn left at Manipal Hospital, and continue along the Outer Ring Road. After intersecting with the Blue Line metro beyond the Iblur flyover, it will reach Agara before turning right towards Koramangala 2nd Block near St John’s Hospital via Jakkasandra and Koramangala 3rd Block. The line will then transition underground from Koramangala 2nd Block, passing beneath Hosur Road.
The project had previously hit a roadblock when the Centre flagged its high cost of Rs 776 crore per kilometre. To address this, the BMRCL appointed multinational consultancy Systra to optimize the project. Meanwhile, concerns arose among mobility experts when the state announced a 16.75-km tunnel road project connecting Silk Board Junction and Hebbal, which partially overlapped with the metro's alignment.
Following Systra's review in late 2025, the BMRCL updated the DPR in February 2026. The revised plan reduced the estimated cost from Rs 28,405 crore to Rs 25,999 crore. While the overall length of the corridor increased from 36.58 km to 37.8 km, the underground section was slightly reduced from 14.44 km to 14.28 km, and the Veterinary College station was removed.
The state cabinet originally approved the initial DPR on January 10, 2025, and sent it to the Centre on January 15, 2025. With the revised DPR now under review, the BMRCL expects central approval by October 2026 and aims to begin civil construction work by May 2027. Once completed, the line is projected to see 8.13 lakh daily boardings.
