<p>The Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety (CMRS) has cleared the Kengeri-Challaghatta line in western Bengaluru for commercial operations.<br><br>Anjum Parwez, Managing Director of Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL), confirmed to DH that the CMRS clearance had been received for the stretch.<br><br>The 2.05-km stretch is located in the western extreme of the Purple Line.<br><br>AM Chowdhury, CMRS (Southern Circle), carried out the statutory safety inspection of the Kengeri-Challaghatta line on September 29. The CMRS approval is an absolute requirement for starting commercial operations on a metro line.<br><br>On September 25, the CMRS cleared the 2.1-km Baiyappanahalli-KR Pura metro stretch for commercial operations. This section has a new station at Benniganahalli (Tin Factory).<br><br>Both stretches (Baiyappanahalli-KR Pura and Kengeri-Challaghatta) are slated to open together in the next few days.<br><br>Asked about when the two stretches would open, the BMRCL boss stated that no date had yet been finalised.<br><br>The CMRS clearance of a metro line is always conditional. Starting commercial operations depends on how quickly the BMRCL complies with the conditions, and the schedule of political leaders.<br><br>Another senior BMRCL official said that all conditions stipulated by the CMRS were “minor in nature” and had been complied with.<br><br>“We are ready to open both lines to the public and have communicated it to the CMO,” the official said. “The government has to decide the opening date.”<br><br>The 2.1-km Baiyappanahalli-KR Pura metro stretch is of critical importance as it would help connect the tech hub of Whitefield and the surrounding areas with the CBD and beyond.<br><br>The 13.71-km KR Pura-Whitefield metro line is operational but, cut off from the rest of the metro network.<br><br>Once both Baiyappanahalli-KR Pura and Kengeri-Challaghatta sections open, the Purple Line would expand to nearly 43 km and the Bengaluru metro network would span 73 km, the second largest in the country.<br><br>The BMRCL expects the average daily ridership to cross 7 lakh when the entire Purple Line opens. The current average daily ridership is 6.3 lakh. </p>
<p>The Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety (CMRS) has cleared the Kengeri-Challaghatta line in western Bengaluru for commercial operations.<br><br>Anjum Parwez, Managing Director of Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL), confirmed to DH that the CMRS clearance had been received for the stretch.<br><br>The 2.05-km stretch is located in the western extreme of the Purple Line.<br><br>AM Chowdhury, CMRS (Southern Circle), carried out the statutory safety inspection of the Kengeri-Challaghatta line on September 29. The CMRS approval is an absolute requirement for starting commercial operations on a metro line.<br><br>On September 25, the CMRS cleared the 2.1-km Baiyappanahalli-KR Pura metro stretch for commercial operations. This section has a new station at Benniganahalli (Tin Factory).<br><br>Both stretches (Baiyappanahalli-KR Pura and Kengeri-Challaghatta) are slated to open together in the next few days.<br><br>Asked about when the two stretches would open, the BMRCL boss stated that no date had yet been finalised.<br><br>The CMRS clearance of a metro line is always conditional. Starting commercial operations depends on how quickly the BMRCL complies with the conditions, and the schedule of political leaders.<br><br>Another senior BMRCL official said that all conditions stipulated by the CMRS were “minor in nature” and had been complied with.<br><br>“We are ready to open both lines to the public and have communicated it to the CMO,” the official said. “The government has to decide the opening date.”<br><br>The 2.1-km Baiyappanahalli-KR Pura metro stretch is of critical importance as it would help connect the tech hub of Whitefield and the surrounding areas with the CBD and beyond.<br><br>The 13.71-km KR Pura-Whitefield metro line is operational but, cut off from the rest of the metro network.<br><br>Once both Baiyappanahalli-KR Pura and Kengeri-Challaghatta sections open, the Purple Line would expand to nearly 43 km and the Bengaluru metro network would span 73 km, the second largest in the country.<br><br>The BMRCL expects the average daily ridership to cross 7 lakh when the entire Purple Line opens. The current average daily ridership is 6.3 lakh. </p>