Bengaluru Metro: Purple Line Set To Fully Open In August, To Boost East-West Corridor Connectivity

Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) is working hard to complete the missing links at Beniganahalli on Old Madras Road and at Challaghatta on Mysuru Road, with the aim of making the Purple Line fully operational by August.

The Purple Line, which was the first route on which Namma Metro introduced services to the city, was originally scheduled to be completed in July.

However, due to technical reasons, the project was delayed.

Nevertheless, work on the two pending stretches, which total over 4 km, is now being expedited. Once completed, the Purple Line will be a 43.5-km route that connects Challaghatta with Whitefield (Kadugodi), making travel between the eastern and western parts of the city smoother and faster.

During the recent assembly polls, the Purple Line was in the spotlight when Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a portion of the stretch from KR Puram to Whitefield.

However, the same could not be linked to Byappanahalli station as work at Beniganahalli was pending. Similarly, work was also pending between Kengeri and Challaghatta stations.

According to BMRCL MD Anjum Parwez, work between Kengeri and Challaghatta has reached an advanced stage, and trial runs will begin shortly.

"At Benniganahalli station, the facade works take more time. As the station is built on Old Madras Road, there is a need to divert traffic near the Metro station to carry out the work, for which we have got permission. Trial runs between KR Puram and Byappanahalli stations will start by mid-July," he added.

The opening of the entire east-west corridor will drastically reduce travel time for passengers, making it a game-changer for the city's mobility landscape.

According to Parwez, it will take approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes to travel between Challaghatta and Whitefield (Kadugodi), whereas covering the same distance by bus or cab usually takes more than two hours during peak time.

"At least 70,000 passengers per day will shift to Namma Metro when the Purple Line becomes fully operational. We believe that more people will choose Namma Metro as it provides a comfortable travel experience in the city," added Parwez.

An official stated that this will be the first time the Metro will travel out of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) limits. Challaghatta station is located next to the newly opened elevated corridor of the Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway, as per the Times of India report.

Bengaluru Metro

Bengaluru now has 69.66 km of operational metro network with 63 stations, the second largest in the country after Delhi. 

• East-West corridor of 39.34 km: 13.71 km from Krishnarajapura (KR Puram) to Whitefield (Kadugodi) Metro Station and 25.63 km starting from Baiyappanahalli in the East and terminating at Kengeri Terminal in the West

• North-South corridor of 30.32 km: Commencing at Nagasandra in the North and terminating at Silk Institute in the South.

This is the first Metro rail project in India commissioned with 750V DC third rail traction on standard gauge.