Namma Metro Blue Line: Airport Corridor Update 2026

Bengaluru's most-awaited infrastructure project, the Namma Metro Blue Line, has crossed a key construction milestone. The Namma Metro Blue Line project has achieved 72% overall construction progress, with the 58.19-km corridor being developed at an estimated cost of ₹14,788 crore, expected to open in phases, with the entire line targeted for completion by the end of 2027. The Blue Line will directly link Central Silk Board in south Bengaluru to Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), passing through key hubs such as KR Pura, Hebbal and Yelahanka.

The corridor is being built in two phases. It consists of two sections - Phase-2A (Central Silk Board to Krishnarajapura) and Phase-2B (Krishnarajapura to Airport), with construction of Phase-2A beginning in August 2021 and Phase-2B beginning in February 2022. On the ground, the southern stretch is furthest along. Bengaluru's Blue Line Metro corridor along the Outer Ring Road is expected to commence trial operations likely in October 2026, with efforts underway to begin test runs between KR Pura and Marathahalli, and the possibility of extending them up to HSR Layout if construction progresses as planned. However, metro observers have cautioned that unfinished track-laying work near Marathahalli could pose challenges to extending trial runs beyond that point.

Opening dates for the ORR stretch have shifted through 2026 as work continued. Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda said the Silk Board-KR Pura section is expected to open by the end of 2026. Before that happens, several loose ends need tying up. Before passenger services can start, work at stations including Silk Board, Iblur and Marathahalli, along with depot connectivity to Baiyappanahalli, must be completed.

The northern, airport-facing stretch is on a slower track. The Hebbal-Airport section is targeted for completion by June 2027, while the Hebbal-KR Pura segment is expected to be ready by the end of that year. The Hebbal-Kempegowda International Airport stretch is likely to be ready by mid-2027, while the challenging KR Pura-Hebbal section is expected to be completed by the end of 2027. Officials acknowledge the pace needs to pick up: the minister noted concerns regarding the pace of work on Phase 2B and urged BMRCL to accelerate progress.

Delays are nothing new for this corridor. The much-awaited Namma Metro Blue Line, which will connect Silk Board with Kempegowda International Airport, has been delayed again after missing several deadlines, with the Union government informing Parliament that only 72% of the civil construction work on the 58-km corridor has been completed so far. Part of the reason lies in a tragic setback. In January 2023, work on the KR Pura-Hebbal stretch suffered a major setback after an under-construction metro pier collapsed, killing a woman and her two-and-a-half-year-old son, and construction resumed only after BMRCL introduced stricter safety measures. Traffic congestion, delays in land acquisition, tree clearance, labour shortages and traffic police approvals also affected the pace of work.

For homebuyers, the two interchange stations matter most. The Silk Board interchange with the Yellow Line and the Nagawara interchange with the Pink Line mean the Blue Line will knit together three major Phase 2 corridors, while Yelahanka, Hebbal and the surrounding areas, among Bengaluru's fastest-growing suburbs, get their first-ever metro connection. This is already showing up in pricing along the corridor even before trains run. While the corridor is slated to open in 2027, housing prices in key catchments such as Hebbal, Jakkur and Yelahanka have outpaced city averages, signalling the emergence of a pre-launch metro premium in select micro-markets. Consultants estimate the Blue Line will increase Hebbal property values by 15 to 20% during the upcoming two to three years.

Prestige Group has a substantial residential footprint along this exact alignment, with ready and upcoming developments in Hebbal and Yelahanka positioned to benefit directly once phased commissioning begins. For buyers evaluating homes near KR Puram, Hebbal or Yelahanka, the realistic near-term marker to watch is the October 2026 trial run on the ORR stretch, followed by phased passenger operations — not the full Silk Board-to-airport link, which remains a 2027 story.