Namma Metro Blue Line launch pushed to early or mid-2027

The commercial launch of Bengaluru's Blue Line Metro, connecting Silk Board and KR Pura along the Outer Ring Road, has been delayed from its earlier target of end-2026 to early 2027, and could slip to mid-2027, the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) has said. The Times of India reports that several civil and systems works remain incomplete, including viaduct construction at Marathahalli and Central Silk Board, station work at Iblur delayed by a high-pressure GAIL gas pipeline, and land acquisition issues. A travellator linking the Blue Line to the operational Yellow Line is still at the tendering stage.

The 19-km corridor serves an estimated 8-10 lakh workers in technology companies along the ORR. Adding to commuter woes, the Greater Bengaluru Authority plans a Rs 450-crore white-topping project on the ORR from October 2026 to January 2027, pending cabinet clearance. Minister Krishna Byre Gowda has asked officials to explore 50% work-from-home arrangements for companies during that period. Commuters had earlier demanded road works begin only after the Metro opened, but the Blue Line delay now means both projects could overlap, worsening congestion on one of Bengaluru's busiest corridors.