BENGALURU (Metro Rail News): The Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety (CMRS) began a 3-day safety inspection of Bengaluru Metro’s 7.5 km Pink Line elevated section on October 6. It will bring the  Kalena Agrahara-Tavarekere stretch closer to passenger operations. 

The section along Bannerghatta Road has six stations, but commercial services will begin only after safety authorisation and the required government approval. 

Bengaluru Metro Pink Line CMRS Inspection Begins

V Venkatasubramanian, Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety, Southern Circle, Bengaluru, is conducting the inspection from October 6 to 8 following an application submitted by Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) on September 18.

The inspection began with a motor trolley survey of the elevated alignment from Kalena Agrahara to Jayadeva Hospital. The CMRS also visited five stations on the stretch:

• Kalena Agrahara
• Hulimavu
• JP Nagar 4th Phase
• IIM Bengaluru
• Jayadeva Hospital

The remaining Jayadeva Hospital–Tavarekere section is scheduled for inspection on Wednesday. The itinerary also includes a visit to Kothanur depot and an inspection of the Operational Control Centre (OCC) at Baiyappanahalli on Thursday. The OCC inspection follows speed trials on the line.

Six stations on the Bannerghatta Road stretch

The elevated section runs for about 7.5 km from Kalena Agrahara to Tavarekere and forms part of the Pink Line under Phase 2 of the Bengaluru Metro project. Jayadeva Hospital station will provide an interchange with the existing Metro network, adding another transfer point for commuters.

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The CMRS inspection is a statutory requirement before BMRCL can operate the Bengaluru Metro Pink line for passengers. It covers the infrastructure and operational readiness of the section before the safety regulator issues its authorisation.

Safety clearance is not the final step

Even after the inspection, the line may need to meet conditions specified by the CMRS. BMRCL must submit a compliance report before proceeding with the remaining approvals. The process is expected to involve the following steps:

1. CMRS completes the statutory inspection and issues its report.

2. BMRCL fulfils any conditions and submits a compliance report.

3. BMRCL informs the Karnataka government.

4. The state government approaches the Centre for formal approval to open the section for passenger services.

The compliance process can take at least a week, depending on the conditions imposed and the time needed to meet them. BMRCL has not yet received final clearance to begin commercial operations on this stretch. Once the section opens, BMRCL plans to deploy six trains on the elevated corridor.

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