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Bengaluru airport metro to be fully operational by March 2028
Namma Metro's Blue Line, a 58km corridor connecting Central Silk Board with Kempegowda International Airport, will be fully operational by March 2028, Bengaluru development minister Krishna Byre Gowda announced Saturday. The new…
Namma Metro's Blue Line, a 58km corridor connecting Central Silk Board with Kempegowda International Airport, will be fully operational by March 2028, Bengaluru development minister Krishna Byre Gowda announced Saturday. The new deadline marks a three-month delay from BMRCL's earlier target of December 2027, with officials citing challenges in constructing a four-track viaduct between Hebbal and Kempapura to integrate with the proposed Orange Line.
The line will open in three phases. The Central Silk Board, KR Pura stretch is expected to start commercial operations by mid-2027, followed by the Hebbal, KIA section by September 2027. The remaining KR Pura, Hebbal section, including Nagawara, is targeted for completion between December 2027 and March 2028. Trial runs on the KR Pura, Iblur section are expected by October this year.
Separately, BMRCL plans to open the first section of the 21km Pink Line by September, a 7.5km elevated stretch between Kalena Agrahara and Tavarekere. The 13km underground section between Dairy Circle and Nagawara remains under construction, with trial runs expected to begin from the Jayadeva side soon. Gowda said Rs 12,000 crore has been allocated for the Pink Line.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The three-month delay on the Blue Line, while small, reflects the compounding difficulty of building metro infrastructure on Bengaluru's congested Outer Ring Road. The four-track viaduct between Hebbal and Kempapura, a first for Namma Metro, is being built now to avoid costly retrofitting when the Orange Line is eventually commissioned years later. For commuters, the phased opening means the airport link will not be ready until 2028, but the KR Pura, Central Silk Board section by mid-2027 will provide immediate relief on one of the city's busiest corridors. The real test will be whether BMRCL meets the September trial run deadline for the KR Pura, Iblur section, as any further slippage there will push back the entire timeline.
Watch for the railway certification for Pink Line rolling stock, which will determine the inauguration date.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
