Bengaluru: Bengaluru’s much-awaited 58.19-km Blue Line, connecting Silk Board Junction to Kempegowda International Airport via KR Puram and Hebbal, is now expected to be fully completed by March 2028, extending the earlier December 2027 deadline.
Greater Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda announced the revised timeline after inspecting the Pink Line’s underground corridor between MG Road and Shivajinagar on Saturday along with Shivajinagar MLA Rizwan Arshad and senior officials.
Pink Line elevated stretch to open in September
Gowda said the 7.5-km elevated Pink Line section between Kalena Agrahara and Tavarekere along Bannerghatta Road is expected to open in September.
The opening was earlier promised for August 15.
According to the minister, the line is expected to be ready by the end of August, with only rolling stock sanction pending. The line will be commissioned in September, subject to Central Government approval.
The complete Pink Line, including its underground section from Tavarekere to Nagawara, is targeted for opening by March 2027.
Trial runs planned for Pink Line underground section
The minister said he had instructed Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) officials to begin trial runs from Jayadeva Hospital towards MG Road in September.
The 13.75-km underground section is still expected to require another six to seven months of work before opening.
Civil and track works have reportedly been completed, while systems work including air-conditioning, ventilation, electrical and mechanical works, cabling and platform screen door installation is underway.
Blue Line faces fresh delays
The Blue Line has also received revised timelines for different stretches.
The 19.75-km Silk Board Junction-KR Puram section, part of Phase 2A, is in an advanced stage. Trial runs between KR Puram and Iblur are expected to begin in October.
However, train movement between Iblur and Silk Board Junction is likely to be pushed to December or January because of pending works at Marathahalli and Silk Board stations.
The line will also extend 413.8 metres above the Silk Board flyover to facilitate train reversals.
Hebbal-airport section pushed further
Gowda said the section from KR Puram towards Nagawara is expected to open by mid-2027, while the Hebbal-airport link is targeted for September or October 2027.
The 27.44-km section had earlier been targeted for completion by June 2027.
Construction challenges around Nagawara and Hebbal have contributed to delays. The minister also pointed to the extensive clearances required along the Outer Ring Road and the complex interchange planned at Hebbal.
At Hebbal, four elevated metro tracks are planned for the Blue and Orange lines, adding to the construction complexity.
The revised timelines mean Bengaluru commuters and airport-bound passengers will have to wait longer for the complete Blue Line, one of the city’s most anticipated metro corridors.