Namma Metro: Pink Line may miss September deadline as approvals remain pending
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The Pink Line is a 21.3-km corridor connecting Kalena Agrahara in south Bengaluru with Nagawara in the north. Of the total length, around 13.8 km is underground, while 7.5 km is elevated. | Photo Credit: File photo
Bengaluru metro’s much-awaited elevated 7.5-km section of the Pink Line may miss yet another deadline to open for passenger services in September, with key regulatory approvals still pending.
The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (BMRCL) is yet to receive the rolling stock sanction for its application submitted to the Railway Board on September 7. The approval is one of the mandatory steps that needs to be completed before the corridor can be inspected and cleared for commercial operations, according to sources.
Although the State government remains hopeful of launching the corridor this month, operations can begin only after the completion of statutory procedures, including rolling stock approval from the Railway Board and final safety clearance from the Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety (CMRS).
According to sources, after receiving the rolling stock sanction, BMRCL will have to submit the Independent Safety Assessor (ISA) signalling report to the CMRS. The safety commissioner will then examine the required documents and decide on a date for inspection of the corridor.
Following the inspection, the CMRS clearance is expected to take another one to two weeks, sources said. The corridor would then have to be formally inaugurated before passenger services can commence.
However, a senior BMRCL official said the corporation had not committed to September opening without the necessary approvals. “We said that the elevated section of Pink Line is expected to be inaugurated in September, subject to the completion of all statutory approvals and clearances,” the official said.
Greater Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda inspected the corridor on September 2 and said civil and elevated works were ready. He had earlier indicated that the elevated section could be inaugurated and opened to commuters once the Centre provided the necessary approvals.
“We are ready. As soon as the date is given by the Government of India, this stretch will be inaugurated and opened to people for commuting,” Mr. Gowda had said.
The expected opening date has changed several times. After taking charge of the portfolio, the Minister had initially announced that the elevated section between Kalena Agrahara and Tavarekere would become operational by August 15, 2026. He had also said that the remaining underground section between Tavarekere and Nagawara was expected to be completed by March 2027.
The Pink Line is a 21.3-km corridor connecting Kalena Agrahara in south Bengaluru with Nagawara in the north. Of the total length, around 13.8 km is underground, while 7.5 km is elevated.
The underground section will pass through several important areas, including Dairy Circle, M.G. Road, Shivajinagar, and Tannery Road, providing a crucial north-south connection through the central parts of the city. The project has faced repeated delays and missed several earlier deadlines, leading to criticism from commuters who have been waiting for the corridor to become operational.
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