Bengaluru’s Namma Metro Pink Line will open for commercial passenger services from November 14, with trains running every eight minutes on the initial 7.5-kilometre elevated stretch between Kalena Agrahara and Tavarekere, the Karnataka government has announced.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to inaugurate the corridor on November 13 at the Tavarekere-Suddagunte Palya Metro station near Dairy Circle. Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and other dignitaries are also expected to attend the event, according to Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda, who shared the service details at a press conference at Vidhana Soudha.
Passenger services on the new section will begin at 6 am from both Kalena Agrahara and Tavarekere on regular days. The first train on Sundays will depart at 7 am. The last trains from both terminal stations are scheduled to leave at 11 pm, while the initial frequency will be one train every eight minutes.
The six stations on the opening stretch are Kalena Agrahara, Hulimavu, IIMB, JP Nagar 4th Phase, Jayadeva Hospital and Tavarekere. Jayadeva Hospital station will provide an interchange with the Yellow Line, giving passengers access to connections towards Electronic City and other parts of the city. The government said commuters from the Bannerghatta Road area will be able to connect more easily to Silk Board, HSR Layout, Jayanagar, Majestic and Whitefield through the Metro network.
Five trains will initially be deployed on the corridor. Officials will assess passenger demand and the stability of the signalling system before considering a reduction in the interval between services, the minister said. The announcement does not specify a revised frequency or a timeline for any such change.
The inauguration programme is scheduled for 12.30 pm on November 13 at the Fire and Emergency Services premises near Dairy Circle. After the launch, the Prime Minister, the Governor, the Chief Minister and other officials are expected to travel by Metro from Tavarekere station to IIMB station before attending a public programme at the IIMB auditorium.
The state government said the police department, Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited, the Greater Bengaluru Authority and the Public Works Department had been instructed to coordinate arrangements for the inauguration. The coordination is intended to manage event operations around the stations and roads connected to the launch venue.
The opening section is expected to provide a new rail connection along the Bannerghatta Road corridor, where the government has said Metro access could ease road traffic and improve links to existing lines. Commercial operations will begin at 6 am on November 14, with the announced eight-minute service interval forming the initial operating schedule.
