The highly anticipated Whitefield-Challaghatta Metro corridor in Bengaluru is slated to commence passenger services on Monday, October 9. The 2.1 km Baiyappanahalli-KR Pura and 2.05 km Kengeri-Challaghatta sections will be open to the public. This metro stretch is part of the Purple Line network, which will stretch from Whitefield in the east to Challaghatta in the west and span 42.85 km.
The Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) shared this decision to the Karnataka government's Urban Development Department in a letter dated Sunday, October 8.
There will be no formal inauguration ceremony to mark this milestone. Instead, the MoHUA's letter conveyed that the two sections of the corridor would be formally dedicated to the nation in the presence of the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister of Karnataka within the next two weeks. "It is informed that the two sections will be formally dedicated to the nation by the Prime Minister within two weeks' time in the presence of the Chief Minister of Karnataka. These two sections are vital from the perspective of commuters in Bengaluru, as both will provide seamless connectivity from the east to the west part of the city," read the letter from MoHUA.
"In view of the above, these two sections of the Metro lines should be opened for passenger service immediately on the morning of October 9, 2023, without any formal or informal official function, so that daily commuters can immediately benefit from the opening of these two important sections," it said
The completion of this crucial link is expected to significantly improve travel time, reducing the journey between Kengeri and Whitefield to around 60-70 minutes, a substantial improvement from the usual one and a half hours taken by road.
Presently, the Namma Metro operates from 5 am to 11 pm. It is expected that passenger services on the new corridor will commence at 5 am on October 9, aligning with the established schedule. However, Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has yet to officially confirm the exact start timings.
Approval from the Commissioner for Metro Rail Safety (CMRS) was granted for the Byappanahalli-KR Pura section on September 25, while clearance for the Kengeri-Challaghatta section was received on September 30.