Bengaluru Metro Purple Line: Byappanahalli-KR Puram Metro 'Missing Link' Is Almost Ready, To Be Commissioned In June

Bengaluru Metro's Purple Line, which connects the eastern part of the city to the central business district, is almost complete, with the exception of a 2.5 km link crucial link between Byappanahalli and KR Puram stations.

The Byappanahalli and KR Puram missing link will be ready within two months and would be inaugurated in June, according to Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL).

Yeshwanth Chavan, the chief public relations officer of BMRCL, stated that at most there might be a delay of one month.

On 25 March, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 13.71 km long KR Puram to Whitefield, which is part of the extended purple line from Baiyappanahalli to Whitefield (15.50 km) built under phase II of Namma Metro. The commercial operations commenced on 26 March.

At present, the recently opened Whitefield to KR Puram stretch of the Purple Line is functional, along with the 25-km-long stretch between Byappanahalli and Kengeri. The key connection between Byappanahalli and KR Puram will join the entire line and seamlessly connect east to west of the city.

Once the 2.5 km crucial link is commissioned, the metro ridership is expected to increase dramatically by 3.5 lakh as it seamlessly connects Whitefield with most parts of Bengaluru.

Reasons for delay in the Byappanahalli and KR Puram line

The completion of the link was hindered by multiple authorities working in the area, which the BMRCL found challenging.

Chavan explained that the delay was caused by several factors, including developmental works between Byappanahalli and KR Puram.

The railway line crossing connecting Bengaluru and Salem was another matter that needed to be dealt with, alongside bus depot improvement work at KR Puram and decongestion plans undertaken by other civic agencies.

Once all testing has been completed, the Byappanahalli-KR Puram link would be ready for public use, added Chavan, as per Times Of India report.

Bengaluru Metro

Bengaluru now has 69.66 km of operational metro network with 63 stations, the second largest in the country after Delhi. 

(a) East-West corridor of 39.34 km: 13.71 km from Krishnarajapura (KR Puram) to Whitefield (Kadugodi) Metro Station and 25.63 km starting from Baiyappanahalli in the East and terminating at Kengeri Terminal in the West

(b) North-South corridor of 30.32 km commencing at Nagasandra in the North and terminating at Silk Institute in the South.