Bengaluru’s Namma Metro Pink Line will open for commercial passenger services from November 14, with trains running every eight minutes on the 7.5-kilometre elevated section between Kalena Agrahara and Tavarekere, Karnataka minister Krishna Byre Gowda said on Wednesday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to inaugurate the corridor on November 13.
The new section will operate from 6 am to 11 pm every day, with Sunday services beginning at 7 am. Trains will depart simultaneously from Kalena Agrahara and Tavarekere stations at the start of daily operations, according to the schedule shared by the minister at a press conference at Vidhana Soudha.
The corridor has six stations: Kalena Agrahara, Hulimavu, IIMB, JP Nagar 4th Phase, Jayadeva Hospital and Tavarekere. Jayadeva Hospital station will provide an interchange with the Yellow Line, allowing passengers from the southern part of the city to connect towards areas including Electronic City and other parts of Bengaluru served by the metro network.
The inauguration programme is scheduled for November 13 at 12.30 pm near Dairy Circle. Modi and Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar are expected to arrive at the fire services premises near Dairy Circle before travelling to the Tavarekere-Suddaguntepalya Metro station, where the new section will be inaugurated.
After the inauguration, the Prime Minister, the Governor, the Chief Minister and other dignitaries are scheduled to travel by metro from Tavarekere to IIMB station. A public programme will then be held at the auditorium of the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore, the minister said.
The opening is significant for commuters using Bannerghatta Road, where the corridor is expected to provide an alternative to road travel. The interchange at Jayadeva Hospital will also connect passengers to the Yellow Line, enabling onward journeys towards Silk Board, HSR Layout, Jayanagar, Majestic and Whitefield through the wider metro network, according to the information released by the minister.
Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited will initially deploy five trains on the route. The eight-minute frequency may be reduced in the future after passenger demand and the stability of the signalling system are assessed, the minister said. The statement did not specify a revised headway or a timeline for any increase in service frequency.
Preparations for the inauguration involve coordination between the police department, BMRCL, the Greater Bengaluru Authority and the Public Works Department. A meeting has already been held to issue instructions for managing the event, according to the minister. Commercial operations on the Pink Line section are scheduled to begin at 6 am on November 14, with the Sunday opening time set at 7 am.
