JICA Evaluating $318 mn Loan for Bangalore Metro’s Phase 2A & 2B
Following the Asian Development Bank’s approval this Tuesday for a USD 500 million loan to develop Bangalore Metro’s 56 km Blue Line (Phase 2A and Phase 2B), their updated website now confirms the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)’s participation to co-finance the line.
JICA’s loan contribution to both phases is listed at USD 318 million (approximately Rs 2345 crore). Prior to this, the only source that listed JICA’s possible involvement was the government-owned India Investment Grid (IIG) website, which lists JICA’s loan as ‘under preliminary negotiation’ with the following figures:
Phase 2A’s Estimated Cost: Rs. 5,227.35 crore
- ADB: Rs. 1,479.46 crore
- JICA: Rs. 893 crore (preliminary negotiation)
- PPP Sources: Rs. 600 crore
- State Govt: Rs. 1,690.46 crore
- Central Govt: Rs. 734.22 crore
Phase 2B’s Estimated Cost: 9,616.51 crore
- ADB: Rs. 2,410.79 crore
- JICA: Rs. 1,310.74 crore (preliminary negotiation)
- PPP Sources: Rs. 800 crore
- State Govt: Rs. 4,074.34 crore
- Central Govt: Rs. 1,260.54 crore
The 18.2 km Phase 2A and 37 km Phase 2B projects aims to connect Silkboard – KR Puram – Bengaluru International Airport through 30 stations at an estimated combined cost of nearly $2 billion (Rs. 14,843 crore).
- Phase 2A (ORR Line): Silkboard – KR Puram with 13 stations at KR Puram (interchange with the under construction Purple Line), Mahadevpura, DRDO Sports Complex, Doddanakundi, ISRO, Marathahalli, Kodibisanahalli, Kadubeesanahalli, Bellandur, Ibbalur, Agara Lake, HSR Layout, Silk Board (interchange with the upcoming Yellow Line).
- Phase 2B (Airport Line): KR Puram – Kempegowda International Airport with 17 stations at Kasturinagara, Horamavu, HRBR Layout, Kalyan Nagar, HBR layout, Nagawara (Interchange with Pink Line), Veerannapalya, Kempapura, Hebbal, Kodigehalli, Jakkur Cross, Yelahanka (erst. Kogilu Cross), Bagalur Cross, Bettahalasuru, Doddajala (formerly Trumpet Junction), Airport City and KIAL Terminals
As shared earlier – For Phase 2A, Afcons Infrastructure & Shankaranarayana Constructions had emerged as the lowest bidders for the line’s construction on the Outer Ring Road in October. Bids for Phase 2B’s construction (3 packages) were invited in July with an original submission deadline of September 3. That date has been moved thrice, and the current submission deadline is December 22 at 3 pm.
Both phases are awaiting the Central Government’s cabinet approval, but that is not a prerequisite to start construction work. Speaking to The News Minute, the BMRCL’s MD indicated right after ADB’s loan approval that they will, however, wait to start construction until the Central Government’s approval comes through.
For more updates, check out the Bangalore section of The Metro Rail Guy!
– TMRG
Welcome to 2025. BMRC’s inability to start work now means AIIB is evaluating a 100 million loan to cover for cost escalation
😎
LOL
Observation: In 2016 2A’s estimated was 4200 crore. It has now gone up by 1000 crore.
TMRG – “Both phases are awaiting the Central Government’s cabinet approval, but that is not a prerequisite to start construction work.” Is it true that the project CAN proceed without Central Govt approval ? Is this a new situation ? Until now, it was assumed that BMRCL cannot start real work without approval.
No, it’s not new situation construction of projects like delhi alwar rrts starts without centre approval , lucknow metro construction also starts without approval. So they can also start construction without approval
They can start only if they have sufficient funds as loans, even if approved by ADB & JICA, will have to come through central govt which hasn’t yet approved it.
Maybe they are short of cash as construction of phase-2 is ongoing & there is very little revenue due to covid & loan repayments (for phase-1) has also to be repaid.
Sham, work on Alwar RRTS has started WITHOUT loan approval from any lender or even the union government. What you said holds no water.
We don’t know the reasons why BMRC is not awarding ORR tenders. Airport tenders are still to be opened.
Maybe state has directed them not to, or like I said, they may not have enough funds while expending resources for phase-2 which they are building & also repaying ph-1 loans with meager revenues with covid.
Unless we know the reasons, there is no point in saying others did it & so, they can also do it.
Noida Extension Work of Delhi metro also started without centre’s approval. Heck the approval itself came very late when 80 percent of civil work was completed and center released its share of funds in 2019.
Don’t see the problem with funds also since majority part is coming from state govt’s kitty and ODA loans. Why BMRCL is unnecessarily restricting itself ?
Good question to BMLRC.
Rajkumar – it’s true and this sequencing is not new. Abhishek and Himanshu have provided good examples above.
BMRCL is following self-imposed rules. They need to look outside of the state and see how other metro operators are structuring each package’s funding and then executing.
When kengeri line open to public in bangalore
Sometime in Q3 2021. See: https://themetrorailguy.com/2020/12/09/texmaco-casts-bangalore-metro-kengeri-extns-crossover/
The phase 2A & 2B metro line will boost the economic progress of Bengaluru as well as Karnataka. This metro route provide direct connectivity to KIA from all sub urban areas of the city.
Investing in parallel infrascture route is not advisable for a city with multidimensional .
Merto should go by lanes and bylanes. But not along highway or ring road. It’s good to extend pink line to KIA and save three fourth money.
Investing in parallel infrascture route is not advisable for a city with multidimensional .
Merto should go by lanes and bylanes. But not along highway or ring road. It’s good to extend pink line to KIA and save three fourth money.
Sham at 7:42 am with conviction:
“They can start only if they have sufficient funds”
Sham at 1:53 pm
“We don’t know the reasons why BMRC is not awarding ORR tenders”
Yup, maybe they are short of cash – they cannot start without funds, can they?
Earlier you were blaming the central govt for not approving and providing funds with a lot of conviction.
Now you are saying you don’t really know what’s going on.
Get a grip mate.
You must be new here. Sham (AKA Naveen or Cygnus) is BMRC’s cheerleader on the Internet. Everything is everyone else’s fault. Our lord and savior BMRC can do no wrong.
Long delay in approval is from cent gov, not BMRC. It was cent gov that raised question about feasibility after years though ORR is known to have heavy traffic congestion with lot many offices.
And we don’t know why BMRC has chosen to wait till approval. Didn’t think all this can be so confusing to understand – you need to get a grip buddy.
Any update on CRRC rakes?
Haven’t heard a word since the contract was awarded, which itself was done hush-hush. If CRRC’s history is anything to go by, then they’ll renege building coaches in Sri City and instead import all.
If syaye govt & BMRCL are realy serious about implimenting the project,they go ahed &seek our MPs help,to make PM interviening.to get project sanctioned.lakhs of liter of fuel,money, risk,ecology & time Can be saved if implemented.secondly priority should be given to it’s construction.