Mumbai, Oct. 23 -- Bengaluru Metro's Pink Line, under construction for more than a decade, has seen its overall cost estimate nearly double from the original projection. Revised data shows that the 21.26-km corridor will now cost Rs. 173.46 bn, compared with Rs. 87.3 bn in the Detailed Project Report.
The earlier revised estimate for the project was about Rs. 120 bn. The Pink Line connects Kalena Agrahara in southern Bengaluru with Nagavara in the north, passing through MG Road and linking several important parts of the city.
The 13.76-km underground section, the longest underground metro stretch in Bengaluru, accounts for Rs. 138.76 bn of the revised project cost. This translates to Rs. 10.08 bn per km, taking the cost of the underground works beyond Rs. 10 bn for every kilometre.
The underground section's per-kilometre cost is broadly comparable with the proposed Hebbal-Silk Board tunnel road. The 16.75-km road tunnel has been estimated to cost Rs. 177.8 bn, or Rs. 10.61 bn per km.
The revised figures highlight the substantial cost of constructing large underground transport infrastructure in Bengaluru. The Pink Line's cost escalation reflects the difference between the original project assessment and the latest estimate after more than a decade of construction.
The corridor's underground works are being carried out along the central and northern sections of the line, while the full route will extend between Kalena Agrahara and Nagavara. The revised data places the Pink Line among the city's most expensive metro projects, both in total outlay and in the cost of its underground component.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Construction World.