Bengaluru Metro overtakes Mumbai to become No. 2

BENGALURU: Marking a monumental milestone in urban mass transit, Bengaluru’s ‘Namma Metro’ network has officially surpassed Mumbai to become the country’s second-largest operational metro system, trailing only Delhi, following the inauguration of a vital new 7.5-kilometer elevated stretch on the Pink Line.

The expansion, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, pushes Namma Metro’s cumulative operational network to 103.6 kilometers. This leap allows Bengaluru to edge past Mumbai’s total operational metro network of 102 kilometers (comprising 91 kilometers in Mumbai and 11.1 kilometers in Navi Mumbai), reinforcing its status as one of the fastest-growing urban rail networks in the nation. Far ahead at the top, the Delhi Metro maintains its leading position with a vast 374.5-kilometer network, while other major urban centers follow, including Kolkata (73–74 kilometers), Hyderabad (69 kilometers), Chennai (68.7 kilometers), Ahmedabad–Gandhinagar (65 kilometers), Nagpur (38.2 kilometers), and Pune (33 kilometers).

The newly inaugurated section of the Pink Line stretching from S.G. Palya to Kalena Agrahara along Bannerghatta Road was built at an estimated cost of ₹3,470 crore and features six modern stations. Commercial passenger operations are set to commence at 6 am today, Saturday, November 14. To manage commuter footfall, BMRCL has deployed five modern, driverless-capable six-coach trainsets manufactured by BEML. Operating at an eight-minute frequency, these trains can achieve a maximum speed of 90 km/h and accommodate up to 2,008 passengers per trip. Platform screen gates are also being installed across all six elevated stations to enhance passenger safety.

Looking ahead, the broader Pink Line is designed to span a total length of 21.26 kilometers between Kalena Agrahara and Nagawara, incorporating eighteen stations in total: 12 underground and six elevated. The corridor will feature strategic passenger interchanges with the Yellow Line at Jayadeva Hospital and the Purple Line at M.G. Road, promising seamless multimodal connectivity for thousands of daily commuters across south and central Bengaluru.