After Yellow Line, focus shifts to Pink Line of Namma Metro, set to open in two phases by 2026

With Namma Metro’s Yellow Line finally welcoming passengers onboard in August, after a delay of nearly four years, the next major focus for Bengaluru’s metro expansion is the Pink Line. The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has confirmed that this highly-anticipated corridor will be opened in two stages by September 2026.

By March, 2026

According to BMRCL’s schedule, the 7.5-km elevated section from Tavarekere to Kalena Agrahara, along Bannerghatta Road, is expected to be commissioned by March, 2026. The 13.76-km underground stretch, which will be Bengaluru’s longest underground metro line, is slated for opening by September of the same year. This underground link will connect Dairy Circle to Nagawara, passing through central hubs such as M.G. Road, Shivajinagar, and Tannery Road.

A BMRCL official said, “Civil construction has been completed for the elevated portion, while work on stations continues in the underground segment. Track installation and system integration activities are underway across both sections.”

Testing

A significant milestone was achieved in June when BMRCL carried out “third rail” testing between Jayadeva and Tavarekere stations on the elevated line as part of safety protocol. This crucial procedure involves energising the rail that powers metro trains and marks the beginning of a series of technical trials.

“We will subsequently conduct trials of the signalling network, assess telecommunications systems and carry out load tests to ensure the structures perform safely under operating conditions,” a senior BMRCL official explained.

Missed deadlines

As other BMRCL projects the Pink Line project has seen multiple delays. Originally promised for 2020, its commissioning was first rescheduled to December, 2025. The BMRCL has now clarified that commuters will only be able to use the full corridor in 2026, though operations will begin in phases.

The 21.3-km Pink Line forms part of Phase 2 of Namma Metro’s expansion and is designed to link Kalena Agrahara in the south with Nagawara in the north, thus providing an important north–south connection. Of its total length, 13.8 km consists of underground tunnels, while 7.5 km is an elevated viaduct. The tendering process for the elevated segment began back in 2017, but execution moved slowly owing to technical and logistical obstacles.

Officials admit that tunnelling has been the biggest challenge. “Bengaluru’s subsoil composition is extremely difficult for tunnelling machines. We had to cut through vast granite formations and even harder dolerite boulders, which are denser and far more resistant to drilling,” an official explained.

Toughest section

One of the toughest sections was the 2.2-km tunnel between Shivajinagar and Vellara Junction, where progress slowed considerably due to rocky terrain combined with densely populated neighbourhoods. This particular stretch has often been blamed for pushing back deadlines multiple times.

However, BMRCL crossed a critical threshold in October, 2024, when it completed tunnelling across the entire underground section. Although the underground corridor spans 14 km, the tunnelling length came to 21 km, since twin tunnels had to be carved out to allow trains to run in both directions.