Elevated Pink Line ready for public ops, Centre’s nod awaited: Krishna Byre Gowda
Mangalore Today News Network
Bengaluru, Sep 3, 2026: Greater Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda has expressed confidence that the elevated Pink Line of Namma Metro will be opened to the public this month, subject to mandatory safety clearances.
On Wednesday, Gowda, accompanied by Rajya Sabha MP Tejasvi Surya, MLA M Krishnappa, BMRCL Managing Director P C Jaffer and other officials, travelled on the 7.5-km stretch between Kalena Agrahara and Tavarekere along Bannerghatta Road.
The team boarded the train at Jayadeva Hospital, the interchange station between the Yellow and Pink lines, and travelled to Kalena Agrahara, the terminal station of the Pink Line. They inspected the station and were briefed by BMRCL officials on the Communication Based Train Control (CBTC) signalling system, Station Control Room and the Automatic Fare Collection (AFC) system integrated with the National Common Mobility Card (NCMC).
The officials later returned to Jayadeva Hospital on the same train and switched to the Yellow Line.
“The 7.5-km Pink Line is ready for inauguration and will soon be open to the public. We are hopeful of receiving a date from the Government of India in September,” Gowda said in a post on X.
BMRCL said the Pink Line trains, manufactured by BEML with around 70% local content, are equipped to support Automatic Train Operation (ATO) and advanced Unattended Train Operation (UTO).
The corporation said sufficient trains are available for commissioning the line and are currently undergoing mandatory trials and testing. Each train is required to complete 750 km of running before being deployed for passenger services, while training for the identified train operators is expected to be completed this week.
However, the line is awaiting Railway Board sanction for the new trains, followed by statutory safety inspection and authorisation by the Commissioner for Metro Railway Safety (CMRS).
“All works from BMRCL are complete for opening the section, subject to mandatory inspections and clearances,” the corporation said.
Where does the approval stand?
Since the Pink Line will operate new trains with a new signalling system, BMRCL was required to obtain an Interim Speed Certificate (ISC) from the Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO) following oscillation and Emergency Brake Distance (EBD) trials.
The ISC was received in early August, following which the CMRS inspected the rolling stock from August 12 to 14. The Railway Board will issue the rolling stock sanction based on the CMRS report.
“The Railway Board had made observations and we submitted our reply two days ago. We’re hopeful of getting the sanction soon,” a senior BMRCL official said.
Surya said in an X post that the sanction is expected within 15 days.
Meanwhile, French multinational Alstom is expected to submit its safety case for Grade of Automation 2 (GoA2) to Jodova Technologies. The company will assess the documents and issue the Internal Safety Assessment (ISA) certificate covering the signalling system, its interfaces with other subsystems and key safety functions.
The safety case comprises detailed documentation demonstrating that the train system is safe for operation.
“Alstom has robust safety standards and we hope its report will be comprehensive. Jodova Technologies will review the safety case and submit the ISA certificate, hopefully within a week,” the official said.
As part of the assessment, Jodova is scheduled to inspect the Kalena Agrahara, Jayadeva Hospital and Tavarekere stations.
Once the rolling stock sanction and ISA certificate are received, BMRCL will submit them to the CMRS for the statutory safety inspection. The inspection could take place after mid-September if all requirements are met, the official added.