Bengaluru Airport Metro: Blue Line 75% Complete, Trial Runs Likely Next Year

Bengaluru's Airport Metro Blue Line is 75% complete, with officials working to resolve pending issues and speed up construction. Trial runs could begin next year, while the line is expected to cut travel time between MG Road and Kempegowda International Airport.

For Bengaluru residents tired of battling heavy traffic on the way to Kempegowda International Airport, there could soon be a faster and more convenient alternative. The Namma Metro Blue Line, which will connect the city with the airport, is reportedly 75% complete, with officials stepping up efforts to resolve pending issues and speed up construction. If the remaining work progresses as planned, trial runs could begin next year, bringing Bengaluru closer to a long-awaited direct Metro connection to the airport.

Blue Line Work 75% Complete

Construction work on the Blue Line, which will connect Bengaluru with Kempegowda International Airport, is currently 75% complete.

To accelerate the remaining work, Namma Metro Managing Director P C Jaffer and a team of officials held a one-and-a-half-hour meeting with airport authorities. The discussions focused on identifying the reasons for delays, finding solutions and assigning responsibilities to junior officials to ensure that pending work is completed without further setbacks.

Once operational, the airport Metro line is expected to significantly improve connectivity between central Bengaluru and the airport.

MG Road To Airport In 45 Minutes

Once the airport line becomes operational, the journey from MG Road to Kempegowda International Airport is expected to take around 45 minutes.

The Blue Line will pass through several key areas, including Central Silk Board, HSR Layout, Marathahalli, Iblur, KR Puram, Nagawara and Hebbal. The project is being executed in two phases.

Two Metro stations will also be built within the airport premises. One will be located near the cargo terminal, while another will come up near Terminal 2.

BIAL And BMRCL To Share Responsibilities

Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) will be responsible for constructing the station buildings within the airport premises. This will also include facilities such as CCTV systems and check-in and check-out infrastructure.

BMRCL, meanwhile, will handle the construction of the tracks, as well as signalling and communication systems.

For stations located outside the airport premises, BMRCL will undertake the construction and related works.

Officials Set Three-Month Deadline

P C Jaffer told media that the meeting marked an important step towards speeding up the project. He said officials had decided to provide the necessary equipment to ensure that the remaining work could be completed at the earliest.

The meeting was also attended by BIAL Managing Director Hari Marar and his team. The involvement of senior officials is expected to help resolve ground-level issues more quickly and prevent smaller bottlenecks from delaying the project.

A three-month deadline has been set to resolve the pending issues.

"The two MDs will meet again in the first week of December to review the progress. If everything goes according to plan, we can start trial runs next year," Jaffer said.

Key Construction Work Still Pending

Major work remains pending at two locations, including the Yelahanka railway crossing.

While civil works at the KR Puram and Central Silk Board junctions have been completed, the stretch between KR Puram and Hebbal has experienced delays due to heavy traffic.

Officials are now working to resolve the remaining issues and keep the project on schedule.

Blue And Pink Lines To Improve Airport Connectivity

Once the Airport Blue Line and the Kalena Agrahara to Nagawara Pink Line are connected, commuters are expected to have a more seamless Metro journey from central Bengaluru towards the airport.

For a city where airport travel can often involve long and unpredictable road journeys, the completion of the Blue Line could provide commuters with a faster and more reliable alternative.