Bengaluru Metro: Bengaluru may have the Purple, Green and Yellow Lines of Namma Metro in service, but what the city truly waits for is the Blue Line—the
much-delayed lifeline from Central Silk Board to Kempegowda International Airport (KIA). Initially promised within four years, the project has been repeatedly pushed back, with the latest deadline stretching to late 2027, leaving residents and air travellers increasingly frustrated.
A Corridor the City Cannot Do Without
The 58.19-km Blue Line is not just another metro stretch. Split into Phase 2A (Silk Board–KR Puram, 19.75 km) and Phase 2B (KR Puram–Airport, 38.44 km), it will cut through the Outer Ring Road—Bengaluru’s most congested tech hub corridor—and provide a direct, seamless link to India’s third-busiest airport. At a cost of Rs 15,131 crore, it is the city’s most ambitious metro project to date, designed with driverless trains, luggage racks and enhanced safety systems for air travellers. Two dedicated stations are being built within the airport premises, including a semi-underground terminal station just metres below the surface.
The project’s journey began in 2016, when the Detailed Project Report was first submitted. Despite approvals in 2017 and 2019, construction only took off in late 2021 with a December 2024 deadline. Bengaluru has since watched the deadline shift repeatedly: first 2024, then 2026, and now 2027. As of June 2025, BMRCL says Phase 2A may see a partial opening by September 2025, while Phase 2B, the vital airport link, will take at least two more years.
Also Read: New Timings, Short Intervals: Namma Metro Yellow Line to Serve Faster Commute to Bengaluru's IT Hub
Why the Delays?
The Blue Line has been bogged down by the very issues that have plagued Namma Metro for years—land acquisition hurdles, traffic diversions, water table challenges, tree and environmental clearances, encroachments and technical snags. A nine-month suspension after an accident at HBR Layout in 2023 added to the setbacks. Even now, work on airport stations, designed separately by Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), remains in progress.
Why It Matters for Bengaluru
For commuters and travellers, the delays are more than just dates on paper. The Blue Line promises relief on two of the city’s worst journeys—the daily grind on the Outer Ring Road and the long, traffic-choked trip to the airport. While other cities like Chennai, Kolkata and Kochi already enjoy metro links to their airports, Bengaluru, India’s tech capital, is still waiting.
The urgency is clear from Bengaluru Metro’s swelling ridership. The Purple Line, running east-west, now carries over 4.5 lakh daily riders, while the Green Line, cutting north-south, sees nearly three lakh. The newly inaugurated Yellow Line, connecting RV Road to Bommasandra, drew more than 52,000 commuters on its first day in August 2025, pushing Namma Metro’s daily footfall past the 10-lakh mark. During celebrations for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in June, ridership even touched 9.7 lakh in a single day.
With the Blue Line projected to transform airport access and ease the tech corridor’s traffic, every delay only deepens the city’s frustration. For Bengaluru, this is the one line it cannot afford to keep waiting for.
