Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) is making significant progress in completing the much-awaited Baiyappanahalli to KR Pura metro route, with trial runs currently underway. The BMRCL is now targeting an end-of-August deadline to commence operations on this stretch.
The trial run began on July 26, featuring a six-coach metro train that travelled at a low-speed trial of 15 kmph along the route. The two-kilometre Purple Line had experienced delays due to the installation of an open web girder above the Indian Railways tracks near Baiyappanahalli.
However, with the progress being made, this stretch, which includes a stop at Benniganahalli (previously known as Jyothinagar), will soon connect the Kengeri-Byappanahalli corridor (25.7 km) to the Whitefield-KR Pura stretch (13.7 km) that was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in March 2023.
Upon the completion of the entire Purple Line, stretching from Challaghatta to Kadugodi (Whitefield), the BMRCL is anticipating a significant boost in daily ridership by approximately 70,000 passengers. Another smaller stretch of the Purple Line on Mysuru Road, connecting Kengeri and Challaghatta, is also set to open by August. Once both these lines become operational, the Purple Line will offer seamless connectivity over a 43.3 kilometres stretch.
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.