BMRCL advances Tumakuru Metro DPR as core Bengaluru still awaits key inner-ring links
Even as several of Bengaluru’s busiest corridors — including the entire stretch of the Inner Ring Road covering Koramangala, Domlur and RT Nagar — continue to remain without Metro connectivity, the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (BMRCL) has invited bids to prepare the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for a 59.60-km Metro extension from Madavara (BIEC) to Tumakuru.
The contrast highlights a long-standing concern among mobility experts: that the city’s core traffic arteries, still untouched by Metro planning, are fueling the rise in private vehicle usage and worsening congestion.
The proposed Tumakuru corridor, moving ahead even before any feasibility study has been commissioned for the Inner Ring Road stretch, underscores a growing gap between suburban expansion plans and the urgent mobility needs within the city.
Several major roads that see some of the highest traffic volumes in Bengaluru such as Old Airport road, Hennur – Bagalur road, Varthur road, Hosur road remain entirely unserved by mass transit despite being flagged for Metro consideration for over a decade. It also shows how scientific mobility planning is taking a step back over political considerations.
According to the newly issued RFP (No. BMRCL/Madavara (BIEC)-Tumour/DPR/Consultancy/2025/142), the Tumakuru DPR will be taken up through a single-stage, single-cover tender. BMRCL has prohibited joint ventures or consortiums, allowing only single-entity bidders.
The consultancy assignment must be completed within five months, with a bid security (EMD) of ₹4.5 lakh.
Bid documents can be downloaded from November 15 to 20, and the original EMD instrument must be submitted by 1:30 pm on November 21 to the BMRCL Contracts Office in Shantinagar. Online submissions close on November 20 at 6:55 pm, with the technical opening scheduled for November 21 at 6:55 pm.
The Tumakuru extension — one of the longest suburban stretches proposed under the Namma Metro network — will pass through Nelamangala, Dabaspet and Kyathasandra. The contract will be awarded to the lowest substantially responsive bidder, and BMRCL reserves the right to reject any or all bids.
While regional connectivity is a stated priority for the state government, urban planners say the absence of Metro routes along key intra-city corridors is pushing more commuters toward personal vehicles, deepening gridlock and reducing the effectiveness of existing public transport.