Bengaluru's Namma Metro: KR Puram to Whitefield line operational from March 26

On March 25 (Saturday), the KR Puram – Whitefield Namma Metro line, which has been highly anticipated, will be unveiled by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The following day, commercial operations will commence.

This line forms a segment of the Baiyappanahalli to Whitefield extended purple line, which was constructed under phase II of the Namma Metro initiative. The overall distance covered by the extended purple line is 15 km.

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The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) is launching the KR Puram to Whitefield line in the initial phase, covering a distance of approximately 13 km.

The remaining portion of the route from KR Puram to Baiyappanahalli is expected to open in the middle of the year, following the completion of the open web girder construction and other work along a railway track near Benniganahalli.

According to officials, after inaugurating the metro line by initiating a train, the Prime Minister is expected to ride on the new line in a train. Narendra Modi will be the first PM to launch Namma Metro service in Bengaluru.

During Phase I of the Namma Metro project, former PM Manmohan Singh laid the foundation for the line from M.G.Road to Baiyappanahalli.

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Union Ministers have inaugurated most of the metro line openings over the years. The underground stretch of Namma Metro constructed under Phase I was launched by then President Pranab Mukherjee in 2017.

On March 25, the Prime Minister will inaugurate metro services in Bengaluru for the first time.

In the lead-up to the elections, Modi and his Cabinet colleagues are visiting the State often to inaugurate or lay the foundation stones for various projects.

On March 12, Modi had inaugurated the Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway project.

The KR Puram to Whitefield line has been built by BMRCL at a cost of approximately ₹4,500 crore, featuring 12 stations along the route.

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The BMRCL has invested nearly ₹5,000 crore in constructing an extended metro line from Baiyappanahalli to Whitefield under Phase II, which also includes the 13-km line to be launched, costing around ₹4,500 crore for civil construction, land acquisition, traction, signaling, and other expenses.

BMRCL has previously missed several deadlines to open the line.

The opening of the new metro line is expected to benefit around 2.5 to 3 lakh passengers daily, according to BMRCL estimates. The line’s extension to Whitefield will benefit a large number of people, including professionals working in hundreds of companies located in the area.

To facilitate passenger convenience, the BMTC has been requested to provide adequate feeder services from S.V. Road to K.R. Puram metro station, with bus bays available at S.V. Road metro station to run feeder services.

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The distance between the two metro stations is 5 km. The BMRCL has deployed five sets of trains between KR Puram and Whitefield, operating at a frequency of approximately 10 minutes, with a travel time of 23 minutes between the two destinations.

Recently, the BMRCL received approval from the Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety (CMRS) to open the line to the general public.