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This is an archive article published on February 18, 2025
95% tunnel work completed, Pink Line of Namma Metro likely to open in 2026: BMRCL
In a first for Bengaluru Metro, the Pink Line will feature platform screen doors at underground stations. The stretch is designed for trains to operate at a maximum speed of 80 kmph
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar also waded into the debate, instructing the BMRCL to reconsider the notification. Shivakumar took to X and posted the BMRCL release withdrawing the job notification.
(Express File)
Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) on Monday said that 95 per cent of the tunnelling work of the Pink Line of Namma Metro has been completed with the aim to make the stretch ready by 2026.
The 21-km stretch will run from Kalena Agrahara in South Bengaluru to Nagawara in the North, which includes a 13.8-km underground section from Dairy Circle to Nagawara. The Pink Line is expected to be made operational in 2026, subject to the availability of sufficient Metro coaches, officials said.
Subrahmanya Gudge, BMRCL’s Chief Engineer (Underground), said that the Pink Line will feature only two entries to the Metro station, except MG Road Metro station which will have four entries to prevent road crossing.
The experience gained from Phase 1 has significantly streamlined tunneling in Phase 2, he said. Unlike the earlier phase, which involved international experts from Germany, Japan, and Thailand, the current phase relied entirely on BMRCL’s in-house team and Indian expertise, he added.
The upcoming phase of work will focus on key systems such as traction, signalling, telecommunication, electrical infrastructure, tunnel ventilation, air-conditioning, and signage. BMRCL began tunnel construction for the Pink Line on August 22, 2020, at Cantonment underground station, using a tunnel boring machine (TBM). Over time, eight additional TBMs were introduced, culminating in the final breakthrough near Nagawara on October 30, 2024.
In a first for Bengaluru Metro, the Pink Line will also feature platform screen doors at underground stations. The stretch is designed for trains to operate at a maximum speed of 80 kmph, with stations spanning 200 metres.
In Phase 1, BMRCL constructed 10 kilometres of tunnels with seven underground stations, including the Majestic interchange. That phase involved six TBMs and took over five years to complete.
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