The Bengaluru Metro Pink Line is unlikely to begin commercial operations by the end of September, with the 21-kilometre corridor expected to open only after October 15 because the Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety (CMRS) is yet to inspect the line and grant clearance.
The corridor, which will connect Nagawara in north Bengaluru with Kalyan Nagar? No—the supplied report identifies the southern end as Kaalena Agrahara on Bannerghatta Road—has faced repeated deadline extensions since construction began in 2019. Work was originally scheduled for completion in 2023, but the pace slowed because of Covid-19 and other factors. The target was later revised to 2024, then to the end of 2025, before being extended to May 2026.
Officials and elected representatives had subsequently indicated that services on the elevated section between Kaalena Agrahara and Tavarekere would begin by August 15. That target was later moved to the end of September. The latest delay means the elevated section will not be available to passengers within the previously announced timeline.
The Pink Line is divided into a 7.5-kilometre elevated section and a 13.5-kilometre underground section. Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) officials said civil works, track installation and other construction activities have been completed. Six trains have arrived, coach testing has been carried out, and the certification process is in its final stage.
The Railway Board has approved train operations, according to the report. The approval details will now be sent to the CMRS team, which must inspect the corridor before authorising commercial services. The Union and state governments will decide the opening date after the safety commissioner grants permission.
Greater Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda had earlier said that approval for commercial operations on the elevated section was expected by the end of September. BMRCL officials have now said that the CMRS team’s visit is the only major pending step and that operations could begin around October 15.
The delay has renewed concerns among residents that opening only the elevated portion may provide limited benefit. Residents of Kaalena Agrahara, including Neelamurthy and Poornachandra, said the corridor would be more useful if services reached Nagawara, creating a direct connection across southern and northern Bengaluru. The line is also expected to improve access for passengers travelling towards Kempegowda International Airport, although the supplied report does not specify an airport connection or travel time.
Local residents have also sought changes to station names along the elevated section. There are six elevated stations, and demands have been made to use names that better represent surrounding neighbourhoods. Forest Minister and local MLA Ramalinga Reddy has written to BMRCL seeking the renaming of JP Nagar station as NS Palya, Tavarekere station as SG Palya and Dairy Circle station as Lakkasandra. Residents have also asked that the station currently identified as IIMB be renamed IIMB Bilekahalli.
The next formal milestone is the CMRS inspection. The line can open for commercial passenger services only after the safety team completes its examination and grants permission, following which the central and state governments will set the inauguration date.
