'Used to pay Rs 500 to cab, now I pay Rs 36 to BMRCL': Netizens hail Bengaluru Metro's Purple Line

With the much-awaited Purple Line of Bengaluru Metro opening for public without any formal inauguration, the public heaved a huge sigh of relief as they won't have to be stuck in the city's infamous traffic jams anymore.

The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited opened the two sections between Krishnarajapura and Baiyappanahalli and the other beyond Kengeri to Challaghatta with effect from Monday.

With the opening of these two sections, the complete East-West corridor, the Purple Line from Whitefield (Kadugodi) to Challaghatta, will be complete with a total length of 43.49 km and 37 metro stations.

The BMRCL further said the last train from Whitefield (Kadugodi) will depart at 10.45 pm and from the rest of the terminal stations at 11.05 pm. With these two connectivity it is expected that around 7.50 lakh passengers may travel per day.

Services will start at 5 am from all the terminal stations. The Metro rail services in these two stretches were a long pending demand of the commuters who had run several online campaigns.

The public took to X platform (formerly Twitter) for opening the new metro line and offering the much-needed relief.

"Reached office today in just 45 minutes, in usual traffic it used to take 2 hours 30 minutes," said an X user. 

BJP MP Tejasvi Surya said on X, "43.5 kms of uninterrupted commute will give great relief to the citizens of Bengaluru."

Bengaluru's traffic problems came under national spotlight when the recent traffic jam at ORR left the public hassled as they had to travel for 5 hours to cover 15-km distance. 

Sharing a video of the Metro Rail operations on the two important sections, Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri said on social media platform X, ''Momentous! For the convenience of people, services on two stretches of Purple Line of #BengaluruMetro have been started without waiting for any VIP or elaborate opening ceremony to provide seamless connectivity on entire length from Challaghatta to Whitefield!'' With this, the total length of India's second largest metro rail network, India's preferred mode of green, efficient and affordable urban commute has now increased to 73.81 km, he added.

According to Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited, the operational headway on East-West Corridor will be from Whitefield (Kadugodi) to Patandur Agrahara (10 minutes), Patandur Agrahara to Mysore Road (5 minutes), Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Station - Majestic to MG Road (3 minutes) during morning peak hours, Mysore Road to Challaghatta (10 minutes).

The extension of metro rail services from Baiyappanahalli to K R Puram was crucial as it offered an uninterrupted transport facility to Whitefield which has become a major IT hub.

Tejasvi Surya demanded that the state government now appoint full time managing directors for the BMRCL and Rail Infrastructure Development Company (Karnataka) Limited, (KRIDE).

''Even while Bengaluru is rejoicing the opening of the full #PurpleLine, we must demand the State Govt to appoint full time MDs for BMRCL and KRIDE. Metro and Suburban Rail are two most important public infrastructure projects of the city and can't be headed by part time leadership. I urge DCM Sri @DKShivakumar to immediately appoint full time MDs for both BMRCL and KRIDE to ensure efficient administration,'' he said on X.

With inputs from PTI