BENGALURU (Metro Rail News): Bengaluru Metro expansion has got new timelines after Greater Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda met with BMRCL officials to review ongoing projects. The minister expressed concerns about delays, traffic disruption, and the state of metro construction sites in the city.
In his first review meeting of the Bengaluru Metro project on June 19, Gowda mentioned that poor management of metro construction sites had made traffic worse and the construction work had blocked more road space than needed. He also criticized Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) for continuously missing project deadlines over the years. The meeting lasted for nearly 3 hours at the BMRCL headquarters in Shantinagar. Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister Tushar Girinath, BMRCL Managing Director J Ravishankar, and other senior officials were also there.
New timelines for Bengaluru Metro’s Pink Lines
According to Deccan Herald Report, Gowda announced updated targets for the 21.26 km Pink Line which will connect Kalena, Agrahara and Nagavara. The new target deadlines are:
- Kalena Agrahara to Tavarekere: The 7.5-km elevated section will open by August 15. The earlier target for this section was May-June 2026.
- Dairy Circle to Nagavara: The 13.75-km underground section will open by March 2027. The previous target for this underground section was December 2026.
Blue Line trail runs planned by October
The minister also talked about the progress of the Outer Ring Road Metro Corridor under Phase 2A. He instructed BMRCL to start trails run on KR Puram-Marathahalli and Marathahalli-HSR layout sections by October 2026. But, he said work at the Marathahalli and Silk Board stations could delay the project. He added that the 19.75 km KR Puram–Silk Board Metro line is expected to open five months later after the trial runs begin.
A senior BMRCL official told Deccan Herald that workers had completed viaduct construction across most of the corridor, except at Marathahalli and Silk Board. Teams are currently laying tracks and trying to finish work near Marathahalli before the October target. The official also mentioned that labor shortages are still impacting the construction activities, because the workforce is currently about 50% below what is needed.
Airport Metro targets announced
For Phase 2B, Gowda shared the following targets:
- Hebbal-Kempegowda International Airport section: June 2027
- KR Puram-Hebbal section: December 2027
These sections will enhance metro connectivity to Bengaluru airport and the northern parts of the city.
Phase 3 approval expected soon
The minister expressed hope that the Centre would approve the 44.65 km Phase 3 project within the next 20 days. He stated that BMRCL would proceed with the tender process after receiving approval. The meeting also reviewed project funding. Tushar Girinath said the state government is working to increase the Centre’s share of metro funding to 50%.
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