Bengaluru Metro’s Pink Line has cleared the statutory safety inspection for its 7.5-km elevated stretch between Kalena Agrahara and Tavarekere, with the state government now seeking a date from Prime Minister Narendra Modi for its inauguration. Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar wrote to the Prime Minister’s Office last week, and the state is awaiting a response, according to a report by Vijay Karnataka.
The section forms part of the Pink Line along Bannerghatta Road and includes six stations: Kalena Agrahara, Hulimavu, IIMB, JP Nagar 4th Phase, Jayadeva Hospital and Tavarekere. Once operational, it will connect southern Bengaluru to the Yellow Line interchange at Jayadeva Hospital, which is expected to become the city’s third major interchange station.
The statutory safety inspection was conducted from October 6 to 8 by V. Venkatasubramanian, Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety for the Southern Circle. The inspection identified points that had to be addressed by Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. BMRCL officials had already begun preparing the required rectification work and facilities, the report said.
BMRCL is expected to submit an official report detailing the corrective measures taken after the inspection. Approval to begin operations has been granted subject to the required changes and facilities being completed, according to the report. The inspection and subsequent compliance report are therefore central to the start of commercial services on the elevated section.
The state government is considering opening the line during the Dasara festival period. If that timeline is not possible, the route is expected to be opened to the public on November 1, Karnataka Rajyotsava Day, the report said. No final inauguration date has been announced yet.
The Pink Line’s opening has been delayed several times. BMRCL had earlier set targets for commercial operations in September last year and in March, May and August this year, but construction could not be completed within those schedules. The current proposed dates are consequently dependent on the completion of safety-related compliance and the inauguration schedule.
The 7.5-km section is part of the larger Pink Line project. If it begins operations, Bengaluru Metro’s total operational network will reach 103.6 km, making it the second-longest metro network in India, according to the report. The route’s interchange with the Yellow Line at Jayadeva Hospital is expected to link services serving different parts of south Bengaluru.
Station naming has also become a local issue. Former Karnataka minister Ramalinga Reddy recently wrote to the BMRCL managing director seeking changes to the names of some stations, including renaming Tavarekere station as S.G. Palya and Dairy Circle station as Lakkasandra. Residents have separately sought the name Bismillahnagar for Tavarekere station.
The immediate next steps are for BMRCL to submit its compliance report after completing the required changes and for the Prime Minister’s Office to respond to the state government’s request for an inauguration date. Public services will begin only after the operational and inauguration arrangements are finalised.
