The commercial operations of the extended Bengaluru Metro line to Kengeri began on Monday, a day after it was inaugurated by Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri. The 7.5 km long stretch connects Mysuru Road to Kengeri Metro Station. Noting that the city accounts for nearly 38% of total IT exports from the country, the minister said, "The Inauguration of the Western Extension Metro Line today is a step towards enabling faster commute and smart mobility options in the city."
The minister further said that there has been a paradigm shift in the approach towards urbanisation and the government is determined to provide world class infrastructure to the citizens, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The inauguration comes after a three-year delay in completing the extended metro line.
The Western Extension, inaugurated on Sunday, is an elevated section and has six new stations — Nayandanahalli, Rajarajeshwari Nagar, Jnanabharathi, Pattanagere, Kengeri Bus Terminal and Kengeri Metro Stations, beyond Mysore Road Metro Station on the currently operational 18.1 km long line. In all, the East-West purple line will now become 25.6 km long, with 26 stations and make it easier for those going towards Kengeri and areas like Nelamangala and Tavarekere, which are outside the city. The travel time between Mysuru Road and Kengeri is expected to be reduced to 15 minutes through this extended metro line.
The construction on this section was started in February 2016. Parking facility is provided at Nayandanahalli, Rajarajeshwarinagar, Jnanabharathi and two levels of parking at Kengeri Bus Terminal Metro Station. Energy efficient LED lights have been provided at all six stations.
All trains will run from Baiyappanahalli to Kengeri during peak hours of 8 am to 11 am and 4:30 pm to 7:30 pm. At other times, alternate trains will travel till Kengeri. Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) will operate 35 feeder buses from 7 am to 9 am on nine routes. The fare for Baiyappanahalli to Kengeri will be Rs 56. This extension is estimated to result in incremental ridership of 75,000 in 2021, the Namma Metro said.
Every station is provided with LED lights, eight escalators and four elevators. Roof-top solar plants are planned to be installed by March 2022. Further extension from Kengeri to Challaghatta (2 km) is scheduled for completion in 2022 or 2023.
With inputs from IANS