Bengaluru Metro’s Pink Line has moved closer to opening after the Railway Board approved new train sets manufactured by BEML for its 7.5 km elevated stretch. The approval will allow the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation (BMRCL) to proceed with the safety inspection process, with passenger services targeted for October, subject to regulatory clearance.

The Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety inspection and authorisation are likely to take place in the first week of October. Services could begin in the second or third week, depending on the completion of mandatory procedures and approval from the safety regulator. BMRCL has said the Railway Board’s sanction is a prerequisite for commissioning the elevated section and will be included in the documents submitted for inspection.

The full Pink Line will extend for 21.25 km between Kalena Agrahara and Nagawara. It will comprise 13.76 km of underground corridor and 7.5 km of elevated track, with 18 stations connecting areas including M G Road, Pottery Town, the Indian Institute of Management Bengaluru, J P Nagar 4th Phase and Hulimavu.

The first phase will cover six stations from Kalena Agrahara through Hulimavu, IIM Bengaluru and J P Nagar 4th Phase to Jayadeva Hospital and Tavarekere. Jayadeva Hospital station will provide an interchange with the Yellow Line. BMRCL has also received the Independent Safety Assessor (ISA) certificate for the line’s signalling systems, while trains required to begin operations on the elevated section are available.

Once operational, the stretch will take Bengaluru’s Metro network beyond 100 km. Namma Metro currently covers 96 km, including 43.5 km on the Purple Line, 33.5 km on the Green Line and 19.2 km on the Yellow Line. Average weekday ridership is about 916,000, of which the Purple Line accounts for approximately 466,000. With the Pink Line opening, daily ridership could exceed 1 mn.