Namma Metro Pink Line update: Check when the service may finally begin
Pink Line’s commercial launch, originally planned for 2020, has now been postponed to mid-2026. Although the elevated section has been completed, no trainsets have arrived for trial operations and BEML has yet to deliver any of the 96 coaches specified for the corridor. The first prototype rake is expected to be released at the end of December; At least two more months are needed for testing and safety approvals.
The Pink Line prototype was officially launched by BMRCL Managing Director J. Ravishankar in the presence of BEML Chairman and Managing Director Shantanu Roy and other senior officials. BEML will supply 318 standard gauge metro coaches for the Blue and Pink Lines under the contract worth Rs 3,177 crore, it said, adding that all design and engineering work was carried out in-house in Bengaluru.
BEML received an initial order for 53 driverless train sets in August 2023, later revised to 66 train sets consisting of 396 vehicles.
Features of the new metro
According to BEML, the new driverless train sets include energy-efficient systems, improved passenger information displays, wider passages, USB charging ports, ergonomic seating and improved accessibility features. The train sets meet advanced fire safety and crashworthiness standards and are compatible with Communications Based Train Control for fully driverless operations. They will undergo extensive testing and commissioning under BMRCL’s programme, followed by maintenance support for up to 15 years.
Project delays and construction history
Delays in rake deliveries have extended the Pink Line’s launch timeline several times, from late 2025 to March 2026 and now to May 2026. At least three trains are required to start operations, making the earliest possible opening for the elevated section to be mid-2026.
The 21.25 km corridor includes 18 stations along 7.5 km of elevated road and 13 km of underground line. The underground section is expected to open in December 2026. Construction of the elevated section has previously faced setbacks after Simplex Infra, which was awarded the contract in 2017, completed only 37 per cent of the work before its contract was canceled in 2021. GR Infraprojects then completed the remaining work within the revised schedule.
Metro officials said the elevated section could become operational after three to four trains are delivered, but the infrastructure completed by then will remain unused.
