Operations begin on entire Whitefield-Challaghatta Purple Line metro corridor, connects East and West Bengaluru

The long-awaited Whitefield-Challaghatta #NammaMetro Purple Line commenced operations on Oct 9, seamlessly connecting the eastern and western parts of #Bengaluru. The total stretch of 43.49 km takes approximately 76 minutes with a fixed end-to-end fare of ₹60

Without any formal inauguration and celebration, the long-awaited Whitefield-Challaghatta Namma Metro corridor (Purple Line) quietly commenced operations on October 9 at 5 a.m., seamlessly connecting the eastern and western parts of Bengaluru.

Metro commuters, who had patiently waited for months for this, were delighted to finally travel hassle-free from Krishnarajapura to Baiyappanahalli, escaping the usual traffic congestion in east Bengaluru. Some rejoiced at the seamless direct link between Challaghatta and Whitefield, completing a total stretch of 43.49 km with 37 stations. The journey, covering the entire distance in approximately 76 minutes, comes at a fixed end-to-end fare of ₹60.

“This was great news to wake up to. I used to take the metro from Indiranagar to Baiyappanahalli every day and then rely on buses to reach the office. With the metro now extended to Whitefield, travelling has become much more convenient,” Aditya Singh, a tech professional told The Hindu.

“Travelling the entire stretch without encountering traffic or getting stuck in pollution was a fantastic experience. It highlights the crucial role of metro in a city like Bengaluru. I used to navigate multiple modes of transport from my home in Vijayanagar to reach Whitefield, but now it’s much more convenient. However, I find it perplexing why it took Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) so long to complete the project. The metro authority should adhere to the deadlines and expedite the completion of all metro stretches, especially the yellow line, as it would benefit many people and alleviate traffic congestion,” said Prashanth Varma, a commuter from Vijayanagar. The yellow line connects R. V. Road and Bommasandra.

Meanwhile, at around 10 a.m. on Monday, following the commencement of trains towards Whitefield on the Purple line, Majestic metro station witnessed a significant crowd that the metro crew struggled to manage. Commuters complained that despite trains running every three minutes during peak hours, the BMRCL failed to handle the overwhelming crowd.

“Though we are happy to see that the metro is now running full stretch which will be helping a lot of people, the crowd at Majestic interchange station during peak hours is quite chaotic. The BMRCL seemed unprepared for the magnitude of the crowd and lacked effective strategies to manage it, such as increasing train frequency or implementing crowd control measures,” said Gayathri Rao, a regular commuter.

Trisha Pandit, another commuter, expressed concern, stating, “The risk of stampedes at Majestic station is alarmingly high. Planning for crowd management by BMRCL has been woefully insufficient and does not seem to be improving any time soon.”