Namma Metro Pink Line: Every Station, the Opening Date and Who It Actually Helps

“Bannerghatta Road has waited so long for a metro that some of the people who protested for it now ride it with a senior citizen card.”

• Tariq Sallam

The Namma Metro Pink Line is Bengaluru's 21.26 km north to south line from Kalena Agrahara (near Gottigere on Bannerghatta Road) to Nagawara, with 18 stations. The first part, a 7.5 km elevated stretch with six stations from Kalena Agrahara to Tavarekere, is set to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 13 November 2026, and reports say trains open to the public from 14 November. The 12 underground stations from Dairy Circle to Nagawara come later, with BMRCL aiming for around May 2027.

If you live anywhere between Hulimavu and BTM Layout, you already know why this matters. Bannerghatta Road is the kind of road where you can watch a full season of a web series between Meenakshi Temple and Dairy Circle. For years, the only rail anywhere near it was the rail of the flyover you were stuck under. That changes this week, at least for the southern half.

So I pulled together everything that is confirmed, everything that is still officially pending, and the practical stuff nobody puts in a press note: which station to use, where to change lines, what a ride should cost, and which neighbourhoods just moved up the rental listings. Where BMRCL has not published something yet, I say so, so you can check before you plan your Monday around it.

What Is the Namma Metro Pink Line?

The Pink Line is the Phase 2 corridor of Namma Metro that links south Bengaluru's Bannerghatta Road to the north east at Nagawara, passing under the old city and the Cantonment on the way. Of its 21.26 km, roughly 7 km is elevated, about 13.8 km runs underground and a short piece is at ground level. Six stations are elevated and twelve are underground, which makes it the city's longest underground metro run by a distance.

It is also the line that pushes Bengaluru's metro network past 100 km. With the elevated stretch open, the operational network goes from about 96.1 km to about 103.6 km, which reports say makes it the second longest metro network in the country after Delhi. Mumbai, please do not take this personally.

When Does the Pink Line Open?

The elevated stretch of the Pink Line is scheduled to be inaugurated by the Prime Minister on 13 November 2026, and reports from early November say passenger services start on 14 November. As I write this, BMRCL has not published its official notice with timings and fares, so treat 14 November as very likely rather than locked.

Here is how it got here. The Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety inspected the 7.5 km stretch from 6 to 8 October 2026 and flagged a list of items, reported as 36 issues, including fire safety arrangements, lifts and electrical earthing. BMRCL filed its compliance, answered further questions, and the safety clearance came through on 28 October 2026. The inauguration date was then fixed for 13 November, with the PM expected to ride from Tavarekere to the IIMB station.

• Original plan: The corridor was first meant to be finished around 2016. Construction began in 2020.
• Elevated targets: December 2025, then May 2026, then the festive season, and now November 2026.
• Underground: BMRCL's latest target, as reported in October 2026, is around May 2027, after trials and platform screen door testing.

“In Bengaluru, a metro deadline is less a date and more a mood. This time the mood has a safety certificate.”

• Tariq Sallam

Which Pink Line Stations Open First?

The six stations opening first are Kalena Agrahara, Hulimavu, IIMB (Bilekahalli), JP Nagar 4th Phase, Jayadeva Hospital and Tavarekere, all on the elevated stretch along Bannerghatta Road. Here is what each one is actually useful for.

• Kalena Agrahara. The southern terminal, near Gottigere and the Meenakshi Temple stretch of Bannerghatta Road. Useful for the big apartment clusters around Gottigere, Doddakammanahalli and the road towards the national park.
• Hulimavu. For Hulimavu, Arekere and the lake side layouts behind them. Expect this to be one of the busiest morning stations.
• IIMB. Next to IIM Bangalore at Bilekahalli. Handy for Bilekahalli, Vijaya Bank Layout and the hospitals and offices along this stretch.
• JP Nagar 4th Phase. Serves the eastern side of JP Nagar and Bannerghatta Road's mall and office belt. A planned future interchange with the Orange Line under Phase 3.
• Jayadeva Hospital. The big one: the interchange with the Yellow Line to RV Road, Central Silk Board and Electronic City, right by the Jayadeva Institute and BTM Layout.
• Tavarekere. The northern end of the elevated stretch for now, for SG Palya, Tavarekere and the colleges around Hosur Road and Bannerghatta Road's top end.

What Are All 18 Pink Line Stations?

All 18 Pink Line stations, from south to north, are Kalena Agrahara, Hulimavu, IIMB, JP Nagar 4th Phase, Jayadeva Hospital, Tavarekere, Dairy Circle, Lakkasandra, Langford Town, National Military School, MG Road, Shivajinagar, Cantonment, Pottery Town, Tannery Road, Venkateshpura, Kadugondanahalli and Nagawara. The first six are elevated; the last twelve are underground.

The Underground Twelve, and Why You Will Care

• Dairy Circle and Lakkasandra. The southern entry into the old city, close to Adugodi, Wilson Garden and the Hosur Road side.
• Langford Town and National Military School. Richmond Town, Shanthinagar and the schools and offices around Hosur Road and Richmond Road.
• MG Road. An underground interchange with the Purple Line, so south Bengaluru gets a single change to Whitefield, Indiranagar and Majestic.
• Shivajinagar. Beside the Shivajinagar bus terminal, Russell Market and Commercial Street. Shopping trips are about to get dangerous.
• Cantonment. At Bengaluru Cantonment railway station, which makes catching a train from the south side a lot less dramatic.
• Pottery Town, Tannery Road, Venkateshpura, Kadugondanahalli. Frazer Town, Cox Town, Pulakeshinagar and the dense neighbourhoods towards Hennur and Nagawara.
• Nagawara. The northern terminal and the future interchange with the Blue Line, the airport and Outer Ring Road line now under construction. Close to Manyata Tech Park.

Where Can I Change Lines on the Pink Line?

Right now you can change lines on the Pink Line at one station, Jayadeva Hospital, where it meets the Yellow Line. Once the underground section opens, you also get MG Road for the Purple Line and Nagawara for the Blue Line, plus a walk-in link to the main line trains at Cantonment station.

Jayadeva Hospital deserves its own paragraph. It is a stacked, multi level structure where the Yellow Line platforms sit above the road and flyover, and the Pink Line platforms sit on a level above those. Bannerghatta Road traffic runs underneath in an underpass, the Outer Ring Road crosses at street level, and a flyover heads off towards Silk Board. It is the first double elevated interchange in Namma Metro, and the escalator ride up to the Pink Line platform is the closest most of us will get to a mountain this winter.

• Yellow Line (now): Change at Jayadeva Hospital for RV Road, BTM, Silk Board, HSR side stations, Electronic City and Bommasandra. From RV Road you can switch to the Green Line.
• Purple Line (2027): Change at MG Road once the underground section opens.
• Blue Line (later): Nagawara will connect to the airport and Outer Ring Road line when that opens.
• Orange Line (Phase 3): JP Nagar 4th Phase is planned as an interchange on the approved Phase 3 Orange Line.

How Much Will a Pink Line Ticket Cost?

Pink Line fares follow the same distance based slabs as the rest of Namma Metro, which since the revision of 9 February 2026 run from a minimum of Rs 11 to a maximum of Rs 95 across the network. A short hop of one or two stations on the elevated stretch will sit in the lowest slabs, and an end to end ride from Kalena Agrahara to Tavarekere stays well below the network maximum. BMRCL publishes station to station fares in the Namma Metro app and on its website; check there for your exact trip.

• Smart card or NCMC card: 5 percent off during peak hours and 10 percent off at other times, under the February 2026 fare rules.
• QR tickets: Buy them in the Namma Metro app or on WhatsApp, the easiest option for occasional riders.
• Annual revision: Fares can now rise by up to about 5 percent a year, so the numbers in any old screenshot are probably out of date.

How Often Will Pink Line Trains Run?

Pink Line trains are expected to run about every 8 minutes at peak at launch, with four trains in service and one on standby, according to early November reports. Earlier plans spoke of 6 minute peak and 10 minute off peak gaps with five or six trains, and BMRCL has said it can add trains and tighten the frequency later. The trains are driverless six coach sets built by BEML, which has delivered 11 Pink Line trainsets so far.

First and last train times have not been officially published yet. Other Namma Metro lines start around 5 AM on weekdays and run until about 11 PM, and the Pink Line is expected to follow a similar pattern. Check the BMRCL notice before you plan an early airport run around it.

Which Neighbourhoods Does the Pink Line Change?

The Pink Line changes life most for Bannerghatta Road, Hulimavu, Arekere, Bilekahalli, JP Nagar and BTM Layout today, and for Richmond Town, Shivajinagar, Frazer Town, Cox Town and Nagawara once the underground half opens. The big win is that south Bengaluru gets a direct rail link to the CBD and, eventually, to the north east tech belt around Manyata.

• Daily commuters. Bannerghatta Road to Electronic City via Jayadeva and the Yellow Line now becomes a rail trip instead of a Silk Board trial by fire.
• Hospital visitors. Jayadeva, and the many hospitals along Bannerghatta Road, become reachable without parking drama.
• Students. IIMB, Christ, and the colleges near Hosur Road and Dairy Circle get easier to reach.
• Home buyers and renters. Expect brokers to add 'walking distance to metro' to every listing within 3 km of Bannerghatta Road. Walk it yourself before you believe it.

“The best real estate amenity in south Bengaluru is no longer a clubhouse. It is a staircase to a metro platform.”

• Tariq Sallam

When Will the Underground Pink Line Open?

The underground Pink Line from Dairy Circle to Nagawara does not have a fixed opening date; BMRCL's latest reported target is around May 2027, subject to trials, systems testing and safety clearance. Tunnelling finished in late 2024, and civil and track work are reported as complete; what remains is the systems work, especially platform screen doors that must be linked to signalling before passengers can board.

BMRCL said in October that it hoped to start underground trial runs up to Shivajinagar around November 2026. Trials are good news, but they are not an opening. Past experience says to expect at least a few months between the first test train and the first passenger.

How Do I Use the Pink Line on Day One?

To use the Pink Line on day one, buy a QR ticket in the Namma Metro app or on WhatsApp, or top up your smart card, then go to the nearest of the six elevated stations and give yourself a few extra minutes for crowds and first week confusion. If you are heading to Electronic City, change at Jayadeva Hospital.

• Go off peak first. Try it on a weekend or mid morning before you trust it with a 9 AM meeting.
• Plan the last mile. Feeder buses and parking details had not been announced at the time of writing. Check BMTC feeder routes and station parking before you drive to a station.
• Expect inauguration day closures. On 13 November, roads around Bannerghatta Road and IIMB may see restrictions for the VIP movement. Avoid the stretch if you can.
• Keep it civil. Stand on the left of the escalator, let people off first, and please do not play reels on speaker. The new coaches deserve better.

See you on the platform, Bengaluru. Same city, new stories, always.

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