D K Shivakumar says Bengaluru's Namma Metro Pink Line to open by May 2026 - but will it really be ready? BMRCL clarifies

Bengaluru Metro

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar’s post on social media on Monday led to confusion after he announced that the entire 21.26-km Pink Line of Namma Metro would be operational by May 2026.

“Our commitment to better connectivity continues! Namma Metro Pink Line connecting Kalena Agrahara to Nagavara will be operational by May 2026. This 13.76 km stretch will ease traffic and strengthen north-south connectivity across Bengaluru,” he wrote on X.

However, his post was quickly disputed by users and even flagged with a community note. Senior officials from the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) clarified that the Pink Line will open in two phases, not all at once, Deccan Herald reported.

All about the two-phase opening plan

According to BMRCL, the 7.5-km elevated section from Kalena Agrahara to Tavarekere will open in May 2026, while the 13.76-km underground section from Dairy Circle to Nagavara is expected to be ready only by December 2026.

“The elevated stretch is nearly complete except for minor works that will be finished before the launch,” DH quoted a senior BMRCL official as saying. This section, running along Bannerghatta Road, includes six stations: Tavarekere, Jayadeva Hospital, JP Nagar 4th Phase, IIMB, Hulimavu, and Kalena Agrahara.

The Jayadeva Hospital station, the tallest metro station in South India, will serve as Bengaluru’s third interchange point.

Meanwhile, progress on the underground section, the city’s longest metro tunnel at 13.76 km, is still ongoing. Although tunnelling finished in December 2024, track laying, electrical, and systems work are yet to be completed. This section includes 12 stations, running from Dairy Circle to Nagavara via MG Road, which will be the city’s fourth interchange station.

Officials said the Dairy Circle-Shivajinagar stretch is in advanced stages, with civil and track-laying work almost done. Systems like electronic control, tunnel ventilation, firefighting pipes, signalling, and ticketing gates are being installed.

Full-height platform screen doors will also be introduced, with a mock-up already placed at MG Road. On the Cantonment–Nagavara stretch, track-laying is complete up to Venkateshpura, and 95% of station construction is finished.

BMRCL expects to receive the first prototype driverless train for the Pink Line from BEML by end of November 2025. A total of 23 trains will be supplied. The prototype will first undergo static tests at the Kothanur depot before mainline trials begin, a process expected to take around six months.