Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday, August 15 announced that the extended Purple Line of Namma Metro in Bengaluru, covering the stretch between Challaghatta to Kadugodi in Whitefield, will be operational in September along with the missing link between Baiyappanahalli and KR Pura. While the project was expected to be completed by August, the project’s progress was affected due to the installation of an Open Web Girder (OWG) above the Indian Railways track between Baiyappanahalli and Benniganahalli metro stations.
At present, the purple line runs between Kengeri to Byappanahalli, and the line was extended from KR Pura to Kadugodi in March. However, the line between KR Pura and Baiyappanahalli remained incomplete due to the OWG’s installation. On the other end, the line will be extended from Kengeri to Challaghatta. The completion of this metro line will connect Whitefield, Mysore Road, Majestic, and other central and south Bengaluru parts.
Due to the unfinished section, metro passengers have been utilising a feeder service to cover the 5 km distance to KR Pura after getting down at Baiyappanahalli. The Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) manages these feeder services, serving a daily ridership of around 8,000 passengers.
Currently, the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) is conducting load tests on the OWG. This testing assesses the OWG structure's strength, which is set to conclude by August 19.
During his Independence Day speech, Siddaramaiah also revealed that the Green Line expansion from Nagasandra to Madavara and the Yellow Line's RV Road to Bommanahalli will be operational by December. He said that this will increase the city's total metro train network to 175.55 km, from the existing 69.66 km.