Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited is preparing its compliance report for safety observations made during the statutory inspection of the 7.5-km elevated section of Namma Metro’s Pink Line, bringing the corridor closer to receiving approval for commercial operations.
The Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety, Southern Circle, V. Venkatasubramanian, and his team inspected the elevated stretch from October 6 to 8. BMRCL received the list of observations on October 9 and is expected to submit its response next week, according to officials cited by The Hindu.
BMRCL must address the observations and demonstrate that the prescribed safety requirements have been met before passenger services can begin. The compliance submission will include photographic evidence and technical details for review by the safety commissioner.
A senior BMRCL official said the observations were a routine part of the metro commissioning process and did not necessarily indicate major deficiencies. Officials said the remarks did not point to structural defects or serious safety concerns, describing them instead as part of the final verification process before the elevated corridor is opened to passengers.
Another senior official said BMRCL had anticipated most of the documentation requirements and minor modifications. The corporation expects this preparation to help it respond to the observations and move the approval process forward. The specific observations made by the CMRS have not been disclosed.
Commercial operations can begin only after the compliance report is examined and accepted and the CMRS grants the statutory authorisation. BMRCL is aiming to open the elevated section around Dasara, although the launch remains subject to completion of the safety formalities. The opening has already faced several delays.
The elevated section will add 7.5 km to Bengaluru’s operational metro network, taking its length from 96.10 km to 103.60 km once it opens. The complete Pink Line is planned over 21.3 km, comprising the elevated section and a 13.8-km underground corridor.
The underground section will connect Dairy Circle, M.G. Road, Shivajinagar and Tannery Road, creating a north-south metro link through central Bengaluru. For now, the immediate milestone is BMRCL’s compliance report and the subsequent decision by the Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety on whether the corridor has met the requirements for passenger operations.
