Bengaluru Metro's extended Purple Line to open for commuters from today

The services of the Metro will be operated between 7am and 8pm and the trains will run at a frequency of 10 minutes between Kengeri and Baiyappanahalli.

Bengaluru Metro’s extended Purple Line on Mysuru road will open for commuters from Monday, a day after the 7.53-km long stretch was inaugurated by Union minister of housing and urban affairs Hardeep Singh Puri and Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai.

Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri with CM Basavaraj Bommai inaugurate the 7.5 km segment of Bengaluru metro. (PTI)

The line under Phase II of the Namma Metro project has six stations—Nayanadahalli, RR Nagar, Jnanabharathi, Pattangere, Kengeri Bus Terminal and Kengeri. The services of the Metro will be operated between 7am and 8pm and the trains will run at a frequency of 10 minutes between Kengeri and Baiyappanahalli. The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has estimated that 75,000 people would travel on the line every day, reports news agency PTI.

Speaking at the inauguration, Puri noted that Bengaluru is one of the major engines of economic growth for the entire nation, with a strong presence in information technology, biotechnology and applied sciences research. He said, "The city accounts for nearly 38 per cent of total IT exports from the country… The inauguration of the Western Extension Metro Line today is a step towards enabling faster commute and smart mobility options in the city."

He further said that Metro is not only a lifeline of Bengaluru, it should be its "future line". "The connectivity of the people and travel comfort of the people is very important for a metropolis like Bengaluru.....we need a very good public transport system like metro for this," he said, adding that he has directed the BMRCL officials to complete the metro works under Phase II by 2024.