Bengaluru Airport line and Pink line to lead Namma Metro’s next major expansion – Check routes, timeline

Bengaluru’s metro rail network is poised for its most significant phase of expansion yet, with multiple corridors scheduled to open between 2026 and 2027, nearly doubling the system’s operational length and reshaping daily commuting across the city.

Deputy Chief Minister outlines roadmap

On 24 December 2025, D K Shivakumar, Karnataka’s Deputy Chief Minister, shared a detailed progress update on social media highlighting upcoming milestones for Namma Metro.

“Namma Metro is steadily expanding to make Bengaluru more connected, efficient, and future ready,” he wrote, adding that major corridors opening in 2026 and 2027 would ease congestion and improve urban mobility.

Shivakumar, who is also the Minister in-charge of Bengaluru Development, said this after a meeting with Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) officials on the progress of the Metro project in the city.

“Our government is working towards easing traffic congestion in the city. Currently, 96 km of Metro network is operational. We have operationalised Yellow line after we assumed office. The 24-km Yellow line has a footfall of 1 lakh passengers. According to the police, traffic has come down by about 30 per cent on the roads along Yellow line,” Shivakumar told reporters

“We will operationalise 41 km Metro network in 2026 and additional 38 km, including Airport line by December 2027. With this, Bengaluru will have a Metro network of 175 km. We have plans to extend the Metro line to Tavarekere, Hosakote, Bidadi, Nelamangala. A Detailed Project Report (DPR) is being prepared for this,” he said.

The projected cost of Phase 3 of “Namma metro” is ₹25,311 crore, he further said, adding that, “We are financing ₹15,600 for the project through Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The tender for works to the tune of ₹9,700 crore will be called in January.”

Asked if the entire Phase 3 would be converted into a double decker corridor, Shivakumar said, “The entire Phase 3 will be in double decker format. We have decided to make the Magadi Road stretch also a double decker project as vehicular traffic from Hassan comes via Magadi Road.”

Pink Line to open in phases in 2026

According to the update, the Pink Line’s Reach 6 will be commissioned in two stages. The elevated stretch from Kalena Agrahara to Tavarekere, spanning 7.5 km, is expected to open by May 2026. The longer underground section between Dairy Circle and Nagawara, covering 13.76 km, is slated for December 2026.

Once complete, the Pink Line will provide critical north–south connectivity, linking dense residential areas with employment hubs and transit interchanges.

Blue Line and Bengaluru airport connectivity

The Blue Line, which is central to Bengaluru’s long-awaited airport metro connection, will also be rolled out in phases. Phase 2A, connecting Central Silk Board with Krishnarajapura over 19.75 km, is targeted for completion by December 2026.

Phase 2B, the airport corridor, will follow in 2027. The 27-km stretch between Hebbal and Kempegowda International Airport is scheduled to open by June 2027, while the remaining 11-km section linking Hebbal to Krishnarajapura is expected by December that year.

Namma metro Network length to almost double

With these additions, Bengaluru’s operational metro network will expand from the current 96.1 km to 137.11 km by the end of 2026, and further to 175.55 km by the end of 2027, the update from DK Shivakumar mentioned.

Urban transport planners say the expansion will significantly reduce travel times, lower road congestion and strengthen public transport integration across Bengaluru.