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The long-awaited Pink Line of Bengaluru’s Namma Metro has encountered another setback, with the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) announcing yet another revision to its completion schedule. Originally targeted for launch in 2020, and later postponed to the end of 2025, the line will now open in two stages, extending the full launch into 2026.
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As per the new timeline, the elevated section spanning 7.5 km from Kalena Agrahara on Bannerghatta Road to Tavarekere is now planned to be operational by March 2026. Meanwhile, the more technically demanding underground stretch, covering 13.8 km between Dairy Circle and Nagawara, is expected to become functional by September 2026.
This Pink Line forms a vital component of Phase 2 of the Namma Metro expansion. It is designed to improve north-south connectivity across the city, linking the southern terminal at Kalena Agrahara with the northern node at Nagawara. The route, with 18 stations, cuts through several high-density, high-traffic zones in central Bengaluru, with a significant underground portion to limit disruptions in key commercial areas.
The repeated delays stem largely from the challenges of tunnelling under Bengaluru’s difficult geological terrain. Engineers faced extreme obstacles with the city’s underground rock layers, particularly the presence of hard granite and even denser dolerite, which severely slowed tunnelling progress. The 2.2-km section between Shivajinagar and Vellara Junction emerged as the most difficult part due to rock density and surface-level infrastructure.
Despite the hurdles, BMRCL marked a major milestone in October 2024 by completing the Pink Line's tunnelling, which, while technically 14 km long, stretched to 21 km because of its dual-tunnel design. The elevated portion of the route, tendered back in 2017, has progressed more steadily, with much of its structural work already visible on-site.
