A view of the Benniganahalli metro station, which is located between KR Pura and Baiyappanahalli.
Credit: Special Arrangement
The much-awaited statutory inspection of the KR Pura-Baiyappanahalli metro line will be conducted on September 21, officials said.
Although just 2.1 km long, the KR Pura-Baiyappanahalli stretch is of crucial importance on the Purple Line as it will help connect the tech hub of Whitefield with the CBD and the rest of the city. The 13.7-km KR Pura-Whitefield line is operational but cut off from the rest of the metro network.
BMRCL boss Anjum Parwez confirmed the new date for the inspection of the KR Pura-Baiyappanahalli line by the Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety (Southern Circle).
However, the statutory inspection of the 1.8-km Kengeri-Chellaghata line could happen only next week, another BMRCL official said.
The CMRS inspection of both stretches was earlier scheduled for September 13 and 14 but was postponed “due to an emergency”.
The delay means that the BMRCL will be racing against time to open both stretches by the end of September. By all accounts, a September-end opening for both lines looks improbable.
After conducting the inspection, the CMRS usually gives conditional approval in a few days. Commercial operations take a week, 10 days or even more depending on the availability of politicians and other dignitaries.
The opening of both lines will expand the Purple Line to 43 km and the Bengaluru metro network to over 73 km.
Cut-off box - Metro services to be hit In the wake of the CMRS inspection metro services will be affected on September 21 on the following stretches:
a) There will be no trains between KR Pura and Garudacharpalya on that day. b) There will be no trains between Baiyappanahalli and Indiranagar from 1.30 pm to 4.30 pm. Train services will be available for the full day from Whitefield (Kadugodi) to Garudacharpalya and between Indiranagar and Kengeri from 1.30 pm to 4.30 pm. Before 1.30 pm and after 4.30 pm regular train services will be available between Baiyapanahalli and Kengeri as per the regular schedule. There will be no changes to the train services on the Green Line.