By Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off Bengaluru’s Pink Line on Friday, and the 7.5-km elevated stretch from Kalena Agrahara to Tavarekere opens to passengers from 6 am today — taking the city’s metro network past 100 kilometres for the first time.
By Salman Qureshi
Cameraman / Photographer | The BNN Media – The Best News Network
News Beyond the Borders
Bengaluru, India — Bengaluru’s Namma Metro crossed a landmark on Friday, 13 November 2026, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 7.5-km elevated stretch of the Pink Line from Kalena Agrahara to Tavarekere, and passenger services on the new section begin at 6 am today, Saturday 14 November.
The Flag-Off at SG Palya
The inauguration took place at SG Palya station — the new name for Tavarekere station — where Mr Modi arrived by car from the Tavarekere helipad. He was received by Karnataka Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar, Governor Dr Sudha Yadav, Greater Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda and Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya.
In a moment that drew applause from the crowd, the Prime Minister noticed Mr Shivakumar standing a little distance away, called him over, held his hand and invited him to stand alongside him before the two leaders waved the green flag together to launch the new service. Mr Modi then handed the flag to Governor Yadav.
Before boarding, the Prime Minister walked to the ticket counter and bought his own metro ticket, paying by UPI, as officials of the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) briefed him on the project. Mr Shivakumar also bought a ticket before boarding. The Prime Minister then rode the train to Bilekahalli-IIMB station in a coach with Mr Shivakumar, the Governor, Mr Gowda and Mr Surya, chatting and sharing lighter moments along the way, while his staff travelled in a separate coach.
Along the route, BJP workers and supporters gathered in large numbers to welcome him, raising slogans and showering flowers on his vehicle. The pictures from the day tell the story of a city celebrating a new railway: a flower-garlanded train, a flag waved by the Prime Minister and a Chief Minister, and a station dressed in pink and yellow for the occasion.
Six New Stations for South Bengaluru
The new stretch runs along Bannerghatta Road and adds six elevated stations to the network:
- Kalena Agrahara
- Hulimavu
- Bilekahalli-IIMB (formerly IIMB)
- N.S. Palya-J.P. Nagar 4th Phase (formerly JP Nagar 4th Phase)
- Jayadeva Hospital
- S.G. Palya (formerly Tavarekere)
Three of the stations were renamed by the Centre in the days before the inauguration. Jayadeva Hospital station will serve as an interchange with the Yellow Line, giving passengers on the new stretch a direct connection to the rest of the network.
The section was built at an estimated cost of around ₹3,470 crore and forms part of Phase 2 of the city’s metro expansion. With its opening, Bengaluru’s operational metro network grows from 96.1 km to 103.6 km — past the 100-km mark for the first time, and the second-largest operational metro network in India after Delhi.
Timings, Frequency and Fares
Regular passenger services begin at 6 am today. According to the operating schedule published ahead of the opening, the first trains will leave both terminal stations at 6 am from Tuesday to Saturday, and at 7 am on Sundays. On Mondays, services start earlier: the first train leaves Kalena Agrahara at 4.55 am and SG Palya at 5 am. The last trains leave Kalena Agrahara at 10.50 pm and SG Palya at 10.54 pm.
During peak hours, trains will run every eight minutes; during off-peak hours, the frequency will be one train every 10 minutes. Four train sets will be in service on the corridor, with one on standby, according to Metro Rail News.
Fares on the new stretch have been reported at ₹10 to ₹30, based on the existing fare slabs, according to India TV reporting. BMRCL had not issued a separate fare notification for the stretch at the time of writing.
What the Full Pink Line Will Look Like
The stretch opened on Friday is only the first part of the Pink Line. When fully completed, the line will run 21.25 km from Kalena Agrahara in south Bengaluru to Nagawara in the north, with 18 stations — six elevated and 12 underground.
The remaining 13.75-km underground section from Tavarekere to Nagawara is still under construction, with systems testing under way, and is targeted for completion in 2027, with some reports putting the opening by May 2027. Until then, the elevated section will serve commuters along Bannerghatta Road, one of the city’s busiest corridors, connecting residential neighbourhoods, the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore, hospitals and the JP Nagar area.
Chief Minister Shivakumar said the inauguration marked “another major step towards building a faster, smarter and better-connected Bengaluru”. Minister Krishna Byre Gowda said “a city that powers the nation must have the infrastructure to match its ambitions”.
A Day of Projects — and a Row Over Who Pays
The Pink Line inauguration formed part of a wider day of launches in Karnataka, with the Prime Minister inaugurating and laying foundation stones for development projects worth more than ₹15,600 crore, including a power transmission scheme and the flag-off of the Bengaluru–Mangaluru–Madgaon Vande Bharat Express.
The opening also came in the middle of a political row over who pays for Namma Metro. Two days before the inauguration, Minister Krishna Byre Gowda said Karnataka bears 84 per cent of the combined ₹77,891-crore cost of the metro phases — ₹65,291 crore against the Centre’s ₹12,600 crore. The BJP has answered that the metro is a 50:50 joint venture between the Centre and the state.
What Changes for Commuters From Today
For residents of south Bengaluru, the new line offers an alternative to roads that are choked with traffic every morning and evening. The stretch is expected to improve urban connectivity and cut commuting time for people travelling towards IIM Bangalore, JP Nagar, Hulimavu and Jayadeva Hospital.
The real test begins this morning, when the first paying passengers board at 6 am.
Bengaluru waited years for its metro to cross 100 kilometres. From 6 am today, the Pink Line makes that number real — and the next milestone, the underground link to Nagawara, is already under construction.
By Salman Qureshi
Cameraman / Photographer | The BNN Media – The Best News Network
News Beyond the Borders
