BENGALURU (Metro Rail News): Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has secured a key approval for trains on the 7.5-km Pink Line, which brings metro services closer to Bannerghatta Road. The line still needs an Internal Safety Assessment certificate and a final safety inspection before it can open.
According to the Deccan Herald report, Bengaluru Metro received the long-awaited rolling stock approval for the Pink Line trains on Monday. The Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety (CMRS) granted the approval, which clears an important step before the trains can carry passengers.
Two safety clearances remain for Bengaluru Metro Pink Line
Bengaluru Metro now has two major steps left before it can seek final authorisation:
- Internal Safety Assessment (ISA) certificate for the signalling system and its interfaces with other subsystems.
- Statutory safety inspection of the Pink Line by the CMRS.
Alstom submitted the safety case for the signalling and train operation systems to Jodova Technologies last week. The assessment covers the Grade of Automation 2 (GoA2) system, which allows Automatic Train Operation (ATO) while retaining a driver in the cab. Jodova Technologies is expected to issue the ISA certificate within a week. As part of the assessment, its team is inspecting key stations, including Kalena Agrahara, Jayadeva Hospital and Tavarekere.
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Once the ISA certificate is issued, BMRCL will invite the CMRS to conduct the statutory inspection. The inspection is expected to take place after mid-September. After the CMRS inspection, BMRCL will also need Railway Board sanction to formally authorise train operations.
Bengaluru Metro Pink Line project scope
The elevated Pink Line section stretches 7.5 km and has six stations:
- Kalena Agrahara
- Hulimavu
- JP Nagar 4th Phase
- IIMB
- Jayadeva Hospital
- Tavarekere
The corridor will provide direct metro access to the Bannerghatta Road area and improve connectivity along one of Bengaluru’s major traffic corridors. Bengaluru Metro’s Pink Line has already missed several earlier deadlines for opening the elevated section. It is now targeting operations by the end of September. But still the timeline depends on the completion of safety procedures and approvals from the state and Centre government.
What the launch means for Bengaluru Metro
The Pink Line’s opening will extend the Bengaluru Metro network to about 103.6 km, which will make it the second-longest metro network in India. The focus still remains on the final safety checks, not construction. The rolling stock has received approval, and the project now needs the ISA certificate and CMRS inspection before it can begin passenger operations.
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