BENGALURU: Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda on Thursday informed that the operational approval for the 7.5-km elevated Pink Line section between Kalena Agrahara and Tavarekere is expected within four to five days. He also directed officials to expedite works to ensure that the Blue Line connecting airport is operational by mid-2027.
Gowda said the approval to commence operations of Pink Line is expected within the next four to five days. The state government has written to the Union government and the ministers concerned, requesting that an inauguration date be finalised at the earliest, he added.
Despite a letter from the Chief Minister, no formal or informal response has been received from the Centre regarding the opening date, he said, adding that he would seek a meeting with the Union Minister concerned to press for an early decision.
After inspecting the works and reviewing progress with officials of the Blue Line, the minister directed officials and contractors to expedite works, stressing that the project had already been delayed by at least a year.
He attributed delays to legal hurdles over tree-felling permissions near KR Pura, which held up Phase 2A (KR Pura-Central Silk Board) works for about a year despite approval from the tree committee. Cauvery water supply pipelines and underground drainage lines, particularly between Veerannapalya and Hebbal, also delayed construction by six to eight months as they had to be shifted or replaced. Heavy traffic on the Outer Ring Road has restricted work to night hours, from 7 pm until early morning.
Gowda said contractors had not responded at the expected pace and that the state government was pressing them to accelerate construction.
For the KR Pura-Central Silk Board section, officials have been directed to begin trial runs by the end of October and operate trains progressively between KR Pura and Marathahalli from the first week of November. Commercial services on the section are targeted for the middle of next year.
He directed officials to remove unnecessary barricades on the Outer Ring Road where Metro work has been completed, saying they were worsening traffic congestion.
On other public transport projects, he said the 148-km Bengaluru suburban rail network which is targeted for completion by April 2030 and the approval of the purchase of 4,500 additional electric buses for BMTC, if implemented over the next one to two years, could help address 50% of the city’s traffic problems.
The KR Pura to airport stretch is 38.44-km long, while the KR Pura to Central Silk Board section spans 19.75 km. Together, the network from Central Silk Board through KR Pura and Hebbal to the airport covers around 58-60 km, according to the minister.
PROGRESS & DEADLINES
Pink Line
Underground Section
Tavarekere to Nagawara 13.76 km - 12 stations
Deadline: Integrated testing and statutory approvals planned for the first half of 2027
Blue Line
Phase 2A
Central Silk Board to KR Pura - 19.75 km
Deadline: Commercial commissioning targeted for mid-2027, subject to statutory clearances
Phase 2B KR Pura to Kempegowda International Airport - 38.44 km
Hebbal–Airport section
Deadline
Commissioning targeted for end of 2027 KR Pura–Kempapura section
Deadline: Commissioning targeted for early 2028
Overall Deadline
Original deadline December 2024
Revised deadlines Mid-2026, December 2026 and late 2027
Current target Entire corridor to be fully operational by March 2028, with services opening progressively in phases
