Bengaluru Metro’s elevated Pink Line section was inaugurated on November 13, taking the city’s operational metro network to 103.6 kilometres and moving it ahead of Mumbai–Navi Mumbai to become India’s second-largest metro network by length. Public services on the newly opened section are scheduled to begin on November 14.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off train operations at the Suddagunte Palya station in Bengaluru. Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar accompanied him during the inauguration, according to Prajavani.
The operational section covers 7.5 kilometres of the Kalena Agrahara–Nagawara Pink Line. It includes six stations: Suddagunte Palya, also known as SG Palya, Jayadeva Hospital, JP Nagar 4th Phase, IIMB, Hulimavu and Kalena Agrahara. The section forms part of the longer Pink Line, which is being developed to connect southern Bengaluru with the Nagawara area in the north.
The opening changes Bengaluru’s position in the national metro network rankings. With the elevated section added, Bengaluru’s network length stands at 103.6 kilometres, compared with 101.4 kilometres for the Mumbai–Navi Mumbai network. Delhi–NCR remains the country’s largest metro network, with 416 kilometres, according to the figures reported by Prajavani.
For commuters in south Bengaluru, the immediate change will be the availability of metro services at stations serving major residential, institutional and employment areas. The route includes the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore area, Jayadeva Hospital and neighbourhoods such as JP Nagar, Hulimavu and Kalena Agrahara. The source report did not provide details of the opening-day timetable, fares, train frequency or expected ridership.
The elevated section is also a significant operational step for the Pink Line, whose route is intended to improve north–south connectivity across Bengaluru. However, the report does not specify the completion schedule for the remaining sections between Kalena Agrahara and Nagawara, nor does it state when the entire corridor will become operational.
Public train services on the newly inaugurated 7.5-kilometre elevated section are expected to commence on November 14. Further information on service timings, fares and the remaining Pink Line construction programme will determine how quickly commuters can begin using the new connection at scale.
