KR Puram - Baiyappanahalli line gets green light

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: The KR Puram to Baiyappanahalli stretch of the purple line of Namma Metro has been given the green light by the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety (CMRS), on Monday.

This comes as a relief for a lot of commuters, as the inspection was delayed since June this year. The purple line would therefore connect the rest of the city with the IT Corridor of Whitefield, as estimates from Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) predict the patronage will increase from 50,000 to 60,000 riders on a daily basis.

Although experts believe it will be open early in October, an official date for the public opening is yet to be announced. The "missing links" of the purple line would be operational in a phased manner, as the KR Puram - Baiyappanahalli stretch gets the first preference.

"There is a lot of demand to link the KR Puram - Baiyappanhalli line to the Whitefield line, which has been operational since March," an official from BMRCL said.

The other "missing link" is the 2 kilometre-long Kengeri to Challaghatta line, the inspection for which is set to be taking place on September 29. With both these stretches operational, the purple line would be extended up to 43 kms long, which is further expected to benefit a lot of commuters in the city.

Meanwhile in view of the Bengaluru Bandh called by several organisations on Tuesday, the BMRCL has confirmed that the Metro services will ply at scheduled timings and would not be affected due to the protests.