Namma Metro Phase 3A: Sarjapur-Hebbal Red Line Gets the Green Light

Bangalore's east and north are about to be stitched together on rail. The Government of India's Urban Development Department has granted approval for the Namma Metro Phase 3A project, which will link Hebbal to Sarjapur's Tech Hub, spanning 37 kilometers. Called the Red Line, this corridor runs through the heart of the city, passing landmarks that millions of commuters already navigate every day.

The scale of the project is significant. The line spans 35.59 km with 22.14 km elevated and 14.45 km underground, comprising 28 stations — 17 elevated and 11 underground — with five interchange stations at Iblur, Agara, Dairy Circle, KR Circle and Hebbal. On the Sarjapur end, a depot will also be constructed at Sarjapur to support operations. Stations proposed along the Dommasandra stretch include Sarjapur, Kada Agrahara Road, Somapura, Dommasandra, Muthanallur Cross and Carmelram, putting this fast-growing residential belt directly on the metro map.

The approvals have come in stages. The Karnataka Cabinet approved the project on December 6, 2024, at a revised cost of ₹25,485 crore. A French consultancy was later brought in to trim costs further — reducing underground station lengths without altering the route or station count, which brought per-kilometre costs down meaningfully. The project now sits with the Centre. Full construction is expected to commence once Central Government approval is received, which is anticipated before end-2026. The line is targeted to be operational by December 2030.

On the ground, the wait is already turning into activity. Teams have been conducting geotechnical surveys — soil testing — at regular intervals along the corridor since early 2026. For residents used to seeing barricades without follow-through, this is the first tangible sign that the Red Line is moving from paper to construction.

The real estate implications are already visible. Sarjapur Road has been one of Bangalore's fastest appreciating corridors, up roughly 79 percent over three to four years to an average near Rs 12,000 per square foot, with metro Phase 3 and the Peripheral Ring Road still to be priced in. Analysts tracking the corridor point specifically to areas closest to proposed stations. The localities likely to see the sharpest appreciation are those closest to proposed station locations — particularly Carmelaram, Dommasandra, Gunjur, Kaikondrahalli, and the Bellandur Gate area.

Dommasandra, sitting right where the Whitefield and Sarjapur belts meet, is one of the areas expected to benefit most directly. The most prominent luxury residential project in the area is Brigade Sanctuary — developed by Brigade Group on a sprawling 14+ acres with lush green open spaces as its unique selling point. Local market watchers note the timing is deliberate. With the proposed metro station at Dommasandra Circle on the horizon, and the continued growth of the Sarjapur Road IT corridor, property values here are expected to appreciate meaningfully over the next 5–10 years.

For buyers weighing entry points, industry voices suggest the window is still open in select pockets. The Gunjur–Doddakannalli pocket currently offers the best combination of station proximity and pre-metro pricing, making it the strongest early-entry opportunity. Dommasandra and its immediate neighbourhood fall in this same early-mover category, where infrastructure is confirmed but pricing hasn't fully caught up.

For homebuyers, the practical takeaway is patience paired with positioning. Metro construction timelines in Bangalore typically stretch, and Phase 3A still needs Union Cabinet clearance before tenders are floated. But the direction is now clear: a confirmed alignment, a locked station list, and surveys already underway on the ground. Families and investors looking at Sarjapur Road and Dommasandra today are essentially buying ahead of a transit line that connects directly into the city's tech corridor and central business district — a bet that has historically paid off along every other Namma Metro line in Bangalore.