BENGALURU (Metro Rail News): Chief Minister of Karnataka, Shri Siddaramaiah, announced that the extended Purple Line of Namma Metro in Bengaluru, from Challaghatta to Kadugodi (Whitefield), will start running in September 2023. He shared this news during the Independence Day celebration at Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw Parade Ground on August 15. Siddaramaiah said that the metro train network in Bengaluru is currently 69.66 km long, serving around 6.1 lakh passengers daily.
The Kengeri-Challaghatta line expansion and the Baiyappanahalli-Krishnarajapura line will be ready by September 2023. The Nagasandra-Madavara extension and a new line between R.V. Road and Bommanahalli are likely to be operational by December 2023. By 2026, Namma Metro aims to have a network of 175.55 km in Bengaluru.
The Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) is currently conducting load tests on the Baiyappanahalli-Krishnarajapura line. The BMRCL had previously set a deadline for completing the missing 2-km segment in August. This missing link has led metro passengers to rely on a feeder service to travel a distance of 5 km to reach K.R. Puram after disembarking at Baiyappanahalli. The new K.R. Pura to Whitefield metro line has seen around 27,000 passengers, with higher patronage anticipated when the entire 15.5-km metro line is operational.
The Karnataka government should seriously consider BMRCL extend the metro rail to Haohalli industrial town on the kanakpura road from silk institute metro station (green line) as it will help many educational institutes /residential Apts/ industries on the kanakpura road whis is highly populated.