Prime Minister Narendra Modi caught eyeballs during his visit to Bengaluru on November 13, 2026 when he bought his own metro ticket before travelling on the newly inaugurated Pink Line of Namma Metro.
After inaugurating the elevated section of the corridor, PM Modi went to the ticket counter and used UPI (Unified Payments Interface) to purchase a ticket before boarding the train. He travelled on the new corridor with Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and other dignitaries later.
This moment became one of the highlights of inauguration as photos and videos of PM buying his ticket and interacting with passengers went viral on social media.
The Prime Minister inaugurated the 7.5 km elevated stretch of Bengaluru Metro’s Pink Line from Kalena Agrahara to Tavarekere (at an estimated cost of ₹3,470 crore). The project is part of Phase 2 expansion of the city’s metro network.
Modi flagged off the train after the inauguration and travelled from Tavarekere towards IIM Bangalore Metro station. Karnataka Governor Sudha Yadav, Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya and Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda were among those who accompanied him during the journey.
Before entering the train Modi bought his ticket at the station counter using UPI (Unified Payments Interface) showing that digital payment facility is available to metro passengers. CM DK Shivakumar also bought a ticket before boarding the train.
The PM’s journey wasn’t just ceremonial as he interacted with commuters and discussed the metro infrastructure with officials and other leaders too. Metro officials briefed him about route, facilities etc of newly inaugurated stretch.
The inauguration is an important day for Bengaluru’s public transport system as the city’s operational metro network now stands at 103.6 kms (second only to Delhi in India) with the addition of the new elevated section and so Bengaluru has second largest operational metro network length after Delhi.
Six elevated stations Kalena Agrahara, Hulimavu, IIMB, JP Nagar 4th Phase, Jayadeva Hospital and Tavarekere will be added in this stretch which are expected to improve connectivity for residents and commuters in several rapidly developing neighbourhoods in South Bengaluru.
The elevated corridor inaugurated today is part of the larger 21.2 km Pink Line which will eventually connect Kalena Agrahara in South Bengaluru to Nagawara (northern part of the city). The entire corridor has been planned with 18 stations six elevated and 12 underground stations.
Though the elevated section has been inaugurated now, construction/development work on the underground stretch between Tavarekere and Nagawara is still going on. Once all the sections are operational it will provide a more direct connection between important residential, commercial and institutional areas across Bengaluru.
The Pink Line is expected to be particularly useful for people going towards important places like IIM Bangalore, JP Nagar, Hulimavu etc. Bengaluru’s population and number of vehicles has put a lot of pressure on its road infrastructure.
Daily commuters get stuck in traffic jams every morning and evening peak hours. Metro expansion will offer an alternative transport option which can reduce dependence on private vehicles and make travel more convenient for thousands of residents.
As per the schedule announced, regular passenger services on the newly inaugurated elevated section will start from 6 am on November 14, 2026. Commuters can use the new stations and experience the additional connectivity once it is made public. Initial operations will see dedicated train sets and scheduled services to manage passenger movement along corridor. Completion of remaining underground section will further enhance usefulness of Pink Line as it will connect South Bengaluru with central and northern parts of city.
The metro inauguration was one of many infrastructure related events during Modi’s Karnataka visit. The Prime Minister was to inaugurate, dedicate and lay foundation stones for development projects worth more than ₹15,600 crore across Bengaluru and other parts of Karnataka urban mobility, renewable energy transmission, petroleum infrastructure, waste management and railway development. The Pink Line was inaugurated as part of the government’s overall push to expand infrastructure and improve public transport connectivity.
For Bengaluru residents, Prime Minister ticket buying was the moment of the day but the bigger story here is that the metro network in the city has been extended beyond 100 kilometres.
The Pink Line stretch will improve connectivity, give commuters another option to roads choked with traffic and support the city’s transport requirements as it grows. Services are set to start on November 14 so commuters will soon be able to use the newly inaugurated corridor. Next big milestone will be underground section completion which will make full 21.2 km Pink Line operational.
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