Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Metro Rail services connecting Baiyappanahalli to Krishnarajapura and Kengeri to Challaghatta, part of Bengaluru’s Purple Line. He emphasized that these new extensions would greatly enhance connectivity and benefit a significant number of commuters.

The Prime Minister virtually dedicated these additions to the Bangalore Metro’s east-west corridor during a rally in Uttar Pradesh, where he also inaugurated a 17-km priority section of India’s first Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) corridor.

The Baiyappanahalli to Krishnarajapura and Kengeri to Challaghatta legs of the Purple Line opened to the public on October 9, bypassing a formal inauguration. This development expanded the operational length of ‘Namma Metro’ to 74 km, boasting 66 stations and a daily ridership of over 7.5 lakh passengers. Namma Metro, inaugurated 12 years ago, is now the second-largest metro network in India.

The Purple Line’s east-west corridor, running from Whitefield (Kadugodi) to Challaghatta, now spans 43.49 km and includes 37 stations. During the Prime Minister’s speech, he hinted at the possibility of initiating a Metro Rail project in Mysuru.

In his address, Prime Minister Modi also highlighted the progress of Metro Rail across various regions, including Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka, expressing optimism about the future expansion of metro services. Karnataka’s Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah, disclosed the state’s ambitious plans to establish a 317 km long Metro Rail network by 2031, with 217 km of it either in operation, under construction, or in the planning stage. He stressed the necessity of expanding Metro Rail services in Bengaluru due to the city’s rapid growth and traffic challenges.

Siddaramaiah shared details about Phase-2 of the Bangalore Metro Rail project, covering 75.06 km at an estimated cost of ₹30,695 crore, with 32 km already completed and commissioned for operations, including the two sections inaugurated that day. Additional extensions from Nagasandra to Madawara and from RV Road to Bommasandra are close to completion and expected to be open to the public by April 2024. Another 21.26 km of a new Metro line from Kalena Agrahara to Nagawara is scheduled for completion by March 2025, which will further extend the Metro network to 117 km, benefiting 12 lakh people.

Siddaramaiah also outlined the progress of the ORR-Airport Metro Rail Line, which will stretch over 58 km, at a cost of ₹14,788.10 crore. A significant portion of the funding has already been released, and the project is expected to be ready by 2026. Once this line is operational, the entire Metro Rail network will span 176 km, likely serving 20 lakh people daily.