Bengaluru Metro’s newly opened Pink Line elevated stretch carried 33,409 passengers on its first day of commercial operations, offering commuters a new connection between Kalena Agrahara and Suddagunte Palya while the rest of the corridor remains under construction.
Train services on the 7.5-km elevated section began at 6 am on Saturday. The stretch includes six stations and runs through an area with major hospitals, educational institutions, malls and residential neighbourhoods. Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) welcomed passengers at the stations with pink roses distributed to ticket buyers.
The Jayadeva Hospital station recorded the highest reported activity, with footfall of 21,642 up to 7 pm, according to station-wise data accessed by Deccan Herald. Passenger numbers increased through the day, with 5,124 people using the station between 5 pm and 7 pm.
A BMRCL official told Deccan Herald that the ridership was encouraging for a second Saturday, but said the full effect would become clearer after regular weekday commuting resumed. “Jayadeva interchange saw an increase — the actual ridership effect will be seen from Monday and stabilise by the end of the month,” the official said.
The first-day interchange figures showed that passenger movement was concentrated towards the operational portions of the network. A total of 4,346 commuters travelled towards Kalena Agrahara and 4,263 towards R V Road. By comparison, 1,065 passengers travelled towards Bommasandra and 1,596 towards Suddagunte Palya.
The new service is expected to provide an alternative to road travel along parts of Bannerghatta Road, where congestion has been a persistent concern for commuters. Passengers also cited easier access to hospitals, colleges, schools and commercial areas as a reason for using the line.
For residents living near IIM-Bengaluru and the newly opened stations, the service brought a closer connection to the wider Namma Metro network. Sandhya, a resident near IIM-Bengaluru, told Deccan Herald that the station’s proximity to her home made her particularly happy after travelling on other Metro lines.
The opening also revealed limits to the immediate benefits of a partial corridor. Some commuters said walking and waiting times reduced the usefulness of the service for their daily journeys. Michael, a construction worker living near the NS Palya-JP Nagar 4th Phase station, said taking side roads remained more feasible for his commute to Ashoka Pillar.
The Pink Line’s full operational purpose will depend on completion of its underground section between Dairy Circle and Nagawara. The deadline for that stretch is March 2027. Until then, the first-day ridership provides an early indication of demand for the operational segment, while weekday passenger numbers and the use of interchanges will determine how the line performs in regular conditions.
