Postponement Blues For Namma Metro Commuters: CMRS Inspection Delayed For Baiyappanahalli-KR Puram Stretch

The inspection of the Baiyappanahalli and KR Puram stretch on Bengaluru Metro's purple line by the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety (CMRS) has been postponed.

The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has not confirmed the new date for the inspection yet.

The CMRS was scheduled to conduct the inspection on 13 September, starting from Baiyappanahalli and going up to KR Puram on the purple line's East-West corridor.

The inspection was supposed to begin at Benniganahalli station at 9:45 am, followed by a motor trolley departure towards KR Puram at 11:45 am. The open web girder bridge was also part of the inspection plan.

After completing the inspection from Benniganahalli to Baiyappanahalli and conducting a rolling stock inspection, the CMRS was scheduled to end the inspection with a light run to Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Station, Majestic at around 6:30 pm.

Unfortunately, the timing for inspecting the metro line between Kengeri and Challaghatta was not available.

According to a spokesperson from BMRCL, the inspection had to be rescheduled due to a change in the CMRS programme, even though everything was prepared on BMRCL's side.

According to a Deccan Herald report, Anjum Parvez, the managing director of BMRCL, had previously requested the CMRS to expedite the inspection process in order to open the line for operations by 15 September.

The Purple Line, which was the first route on which Namma Metro introduced services to the city, was originally scheduled to be completed in July.

The KR Puram-Baiyappanahalli stretch, spanning around two kilometres, will connect the Whitefield area to Kengeri and Challaghatta.

The launch of the Baiyappanahalli-KR Puram stretch on the Purple Line, covering two kilometres, is eagerly awaited in East Bengaluru. This stretch is expected to improve the public transport system in Whitefield and the surrounding areas.

The Purple Line is a 43.5-km route that connects Challaghatta with Whitefield (Kadugodi), which will make travel between the eastern and western parts of the city smoother and faster.

The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) anticipates that once these new routes are operational, the number of commuters using the metro will increase from 75,000 to nearly one lakh.